WE* 

2&- 


wrmsmmx 


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spool  ol   Library 


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Switch  Off; 

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Brake  Up ; 

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Bear  and  Forbear; 

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and  elevates  the  moral  nature.  The  coming  gen- 
eration of  men  will  never  know  how  much  they 
are  indebted  tor  what  is  pure  and  enobling  to  his 

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plain. 

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them  is  to  mention  that  a  couple  of  youngsters 
pulled  them  out  of  the  pile  two  hours  since,  and 
are  yetde\ouring  them  out  in  the  summer-house 
(albeit  autumn  leaves  cover  it)  oblivious  to  muffin 
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foGyl? 


***•  yf~/-& 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/bearforbearoryouopti 


THE  LAKE   SHORE   SERIES. 


BEAR  AND  FORBEAR ; 


OR,    THE 


YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA. 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,"  "  THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES,' 

"THE  WOODVIULE  STORIES,"  "THE  BOAT-CLUB  STORIES," 

"  THE  STARRY  FLAG  STORIES,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


BOSTON: 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS. 

NEW  YORK: 

LEE,  SHEPARD  &  DILLINGHAM,  49  GREENE  STREET. 
18Y3. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

WILLIAM   T.  ADAMS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELECTROTYPED    AT    THE 

10STON     STEREOTYPE     FOUNDRY, 

No.  19  Spring  Lane. 


TO 


HELEN  HAMLIN,  FRANK  HAMLIN,  JAR  VIS  L.  CARTER, 

EDWARD  STETSON,   CHARLIE  HAMLIN,  ISAIAH  STETSON, 

ADDIE  HAMLIN,  MART  STETSON, 

AND  "A  THOUSAND   AND    ONE    OTHER    BOYS    AND    GIRLS"  OF  THE 

CITY  OF  BANGOR,  WHO  SENT  ME  A  BLACK  BEAR,  IN  TOKEN 

OF    THEIR    LOVE    AND    ESTEEM,    ADMONISHING    MB 

NOT    TO    EAT    HIM,  BUT    TO    INSTRUCT  AND 

TO  PRESERVE  HIM  FROM  THE  EVILS 

OF  THIS  WICKED  WORLD, 

8$»  §ook 
IS  AEEECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


Though  I  did  not  eat  him,  nor  any  part  thereof,  and  hia  life  was  too 

short  to  permit  him  to  profit  by  any  instruction  I  might  have  been  able 

to  give  him,  yet  he  is  preserved  from  "  the  evils  of  this  wicked  world  " 

at  the  rooms  of  the  Society  of  Natural  History,  and  I  hope  my  readers 

will  profit  by  the  story  he  suggested. 

0.  O. 


O 


THE  LAKE  SHORE  SERIES. 


1.  THROUGH  BY  DAYLIGHT ;  or,  The  Young  Engineer 

of  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad. 

2.  LIGHTNING  EXPRESS;   or,  The  Rival  Academies. 


3.  ON    TIME;    or,    The    Young    Captain    of    the    Ucayga 

Steamer. 

4.  SWITCH  OFF;  or,  The  War  of  the  Students. 

5.  BRAKE  UP;  or,  The  Young  Peacemakers. 

6.  BEAR  AND  FORBEAR;  or,  The  Young  Skipper  of  Lake 

Ucayga. 


PREFACE 


"Bear  and  Forbear"  is  the  sixth  and  last  of  the  Lake 
Shore  Series,  and  was  one  of  the  serials  which  appeared  in 
Oliver  Optic's  Magazine.  The  story  itself  is  complete,  and 
independent  of  its  predecessors,  though  the  characters  that 
have  been  prominent  in  the  other  volumes  of  the  series  are 
again  presented,  to  be  finally  dealt  with  according  to  their 
several  deserts.  The  writer  has  endeavored  to  show  that 
fidelity  to  duty  prospers  even  in  this  world,  and  that  evil 
doing  brings  pain  and  misery;  and  if  he  has  awarded 
"poetical  justice"  to  each,  it  will  only  make  the  contrast 
the  more   evident. 

The  author  has  endeavored  to  make  a  proper  use  of  the 
Christian  precept  which  forms  the  principal  title ;  and  he 
trusts  that  his  readers,  both  young  and  old,  will  be  able  to 
deduce  the  moral  from  the  story,  and,  profiting  by  it,  be  en- 
abled to  avoid  such  disagreeable  ruptures  as  that  which 
threatened  the  peace  of  the  two  communities  in  the  story, 
but  which  the   "  two  bears "  happily  prevented. 

(5) 


6  PEEFACE. 

In  closing  this  series,  the  author  desires  once  more  to 
thank  his  juvenile  and  his  adult  friends  for  the  kind  con- 
sideration they  hare  always  extended  to  him,  and  for  the 
increasing  favor  bestowed  upon  his  efforts  to  please  and  to 
instruct. 

Harbison  Square,  Boston, 

June  1,  1870. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE    I.                              PAGB 
On  Board  the  Belle 11 


CHAPTEE   II. 
A  new  Acquaintance 22 

CHAPTEE   III. 
An  angry  Guardian .33 

CHAPTEE   IV. 
Fire  on  the  Lake 45 

CHAPTEE   V. 
The  rescued  Passenger 57 

CHAPTEE   VI. 
The  English  Lord  and  the  Drummer 69 

CHAPTEE   VII. 
Miss  Dornwood's  Story/ 82 

(7) 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
The  strange  Boat 94 

CHAPTEE   IX. 
The  Robbery  op  the  Centreport  Bank 107 

CHAPTER   X. 
The  Robbers  separate 119 

CHAPTER   XI. 
A  little  Spark  kindles  a  big  Eire 131 

CHAPTER   XII. 
The  Landing  op  the  Robber 142 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
Tom  Walton  wounded 153 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
The  Robber  takes  the  back  Track 164 

CHAPTER   XV. 
The  Robber  in  a  Trap 175 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
Showers  op  Rocks 187 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
A  Blow  with  the  Boat-hook 198 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTEE    XVIII. 
At  the  Cataract  House 209 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
The  other  Bank  Robber 221 

CHAPTER    XX. 
The  End  of  Lord  Palsgrave 232 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
The  Adventures  of  Nick  Van  Wolter 243 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
Colonel  Wimpleton's  Wrath 254 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 
Major  Toppleton  explains 265 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 
Bear  and  Forbear 276 

CHAPTER    XXV. 
Miss  Dornwood's  Guardian 287 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 
The  Young  Skipper  of  the  Banshee 298 


BEAR  AND  FORBEAR; 

OR, 

THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA. 


CHAPTER   I. 


ON   BOARD    THE    BELLE. 


■w:: 


I  am  about  ready  to  buy  this  boat, 
you  are  about  ready  to  sell  it,"  said  Tom 
Walton,  as  we  were  sailing  up  the  lake  in  the 
Belle. 

"I'm  quite  ready  to  sell  it  to  you,  Tom,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"  You  ought  to  own  her  by  this  time,  Tom,"  added 
Waddie  Wimpleton,  who  was  one  of  the  party. 

We  were  going  up  the  lake  to  have  a  good  time ; 
in  other  words,  it  was  vacation  with  me.  When 
Tom  Walton   spoke,  I  was   thinking   of  the  events 

(11) 


12  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

of  the  past,  as  the  sail-boat  glided  swiftly  over  the 
clear  waters  of  Lake  Ucayga.  I  was  the  general 
agent  of  the  Union  Line,  which  now  included  the 
Lake  Shore  Railroad  and  the  Ucayga  Steamboat. 
The  two  millionnaires,  who  had  fixed  their  residences 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  lake,  at  the  Narrows,  where 
it  is  only  one  mile  wide,  had  been  the  most  bitter 
enemies  for  years,  taking  up  the  hatchet  after  a  long 
period  of  the  most  intimate  and  friendly  relations. 
Major  Toppleton  had  built  the  Lake  Shore  Rail- 
road as  a  plaything  for  the  students  of  the  Insti- 
tute established  on  his  side  of  the  lake,  in  order 
to  give  them  a  thorough  and  practical  knowledge 
of  railway  business.  The  idea  had  grown  on  his 
hands  till  the  road  had  become  a  very  important 
channel  of  travel.  Buying  up  the  stock  of  the  old 
steamers  on  the  lake,  he  had  obtained  the  control 
of  them,  and  ran  them  in  connection  with  the  rail- 
road. This  movement  gave  Middleport,  on  the 
major's  side  of  the  lake,  a  very  great  advantage  over 
Centreport,  where    Colonel  Wimpleton   resided. 

Then  the  two   great   men   became    rivals    for   the 
business  of  the  lake;  and   the   colonel  built  a  large 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  13 

and  splendid  steamer,  to  run  in  opposition  to  the 
railroad,  which,  by  its  great  speed  and  elegant  ac- 
commodations, had  carried  the  day  against  the  rail- 
road. The  students  of  the  Wimpleton  Institute  were 
formed  into  a  company,  and  nominally  managed  the 
affairs  of  the  steamer,  thus  obtaining  an  insight  into 
the  method  of  conducting  business  in  stock  com- 
panies. I  had  been  a  kind  of  shuttlecock  between 
the  rival  magnates,  and  had  been  successively  em- 
ployed and  discharged  by  each.  The  war  between 
the  two  sides  of  the  lake  had  extended  to  the  fami- 
lies of  the  principal  parties,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
large  towns  in  which  they  lived.  The  two  sons  of 
the  great  men  had  been  particularly  hostile;  but, 
having  mended  their  ways,  and,  from  vicious,  over- 
bearing, tyrannical  young  men,  becoming  kind,  gen- 
tle, and  noble,  they  buried  the  hatchet,  and  their 
relations  were  pleasant  and  friendly.  By  their  in- 
direct efforts,  with  some  help  from  me,  the  feud  be- 
tween the  fathers  had  been  healed,  and  they  were 
now  warm  personal  friends.  The  railroad  and  steam- 
boat lines  had  been  united,  and  were  now  running 
in  connection  with  each  other. 


14  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

I  am  not  disposed  to  say  much  about  my  own 
agency  in  bringing  about  this  happy  state  of  things, 
though  I  had  labored  patiently  and  persistently  for 
years  to  accomplish  the  result.  I  was  happy  in  the 
achievement,  and  not  inclined  to  apportion  the  credit 
of  it  among  those  who  had  brought  it  about,  ex- 
cept to  award  a  very  large  share  of  it  to  the  sons 
of  the  two  magnates.  The  two  lines  had  been  run- 
ning in  connection  about  two  months.  As  the  gen- 
eral superintendent  of  the  united  line,  I  had  gone 
over  the  entire  route  daily  until  everything  worked 
to  my  own  satisfaction,  as  well  as  to  that  of  the 
travelling  public.  As  captain  of  the  steamer,  I  had 
been  constantly  employed  all  winter,  and  I  felt  dis- 
posed to  play  a  few  days.  It  was  vacation  at  both 
the  Institutes,  and  Tommy  Toppleton  had  gone  to 
one  of  the  great  watering-places  with  his  father  and 
mother,  though  the  time  fixed  for  their  return  had 
arrived.  Waddie  Wimpleton  had  accepted  an  invi- 
tation to  spend  a  few  days  on  a  cruise  with  me  up 
the  lake.  We  intended  to  live  on  board  of  the 
Belle,  and  spend  the  time  in  fishing,  sailing,  and 
rambling  through  the  wild  region. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  15 


I  had  bought  the  Belle  at  auction,  at  a  time 
when  I  was  out  of  employment,  having  been  dis- 
charged by  Major  Toppleton  from  my  situation  as 
engineer  on  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  She  had  cost 
me  a  very  small  sum,  compared  with  her  value,  and 
I  intended  to  make  my  living  by  taking  out  parties 
in  her.  But,  as  I  was  very  soon  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  steamer,  I  employed  Tom  Walton 
to  run  her  for  me;  and  he  paid  me  a  portion  of 
the  receipts.  He  had  done  well  for  himself,  and  well 
for  me,  in  her.  Tom  was  a  very  honest,  industrious, 
and  capable  fellow,  and  supported  his  mother  and 
the  rest  of  the  family  by  his  labor.  I  had  told 
him  I  would  sell  the  Belle  to  him  at  a  fair  price, 
any  time  when  he  wished  to  buy  her.  I  had  been 
rather  surprised  that  he  did  not  avail  himself  of  this 
offer,  for  my  share  of  the  earnings  of  the  boat  had 
already  paid  me  double  the  amount  she  had  cost  me. 

"I  think  of  going  into  the  general  navigation 
business,"  said  Tom,  with  one  of  his  good-natured 
laughs;  and  if  I  can  buy  her,  I  will  do  so." 

"You  can,  Tom,"  I  replied. 

"My  mother  has   been   sick  a  good   deal  for  the 


16  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

last  two  years,  and  it  took  about  all  I  could  make 
to  take  care  of  the  family,  or  I  should  have  bought 
her  before." 

"I'll  trust  you,  Tom,"  I  added. 

"I  don't  want  anybody  to  trust  me,  except  to 
keep  the  folks  from  starving.  I  didn't  mean  to  buy 
that  boat  till  I  had  money  enough  to  pay  for  her. 
I've  got  a  little  ahead  now." 

"  How   much  have  you,  Tom  ? "  I  asked. 

"I  haven't  enough  to  bust  the  Middleport  Bank 
yet.  You've  used  me  first  rate,  Wolf,  and  I  don't 
mean  to  cheat  you  on  this  boat.  After  all,  wheth- 
er I  buy  her  or  not  rather  depends  on  what  you 
ask  for  her." 

"You  shall  have  her  for  what  she  will  bring  at 
auction." 

"What  will  she   bring  at   auction?" 

"I  don't  know." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  buy  her,  then,  for  I  know  a 
man  in  town  who  will  start  the  bidding  at  one  hun- 
dred and   fifty." 

"Do  you?  Well,  I  had  no  idea  any  one  would 
give  that  for  her,"  I  replied. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.  17 

I  saw  that  Tom  was  troubled,  though  he  still  kept 
his  face  alive  with  his  usual  smile.  I  would  have 
given  him  the  boat  at  once,  only  the  offer  to  do 
so  would  wound  his  pride  and  hurt  his  feelings, 
for,  poor  as  he  was,  he  had  the  instincts  of  a  gen- 
tleman. 

"I  shall  make  money  by  buying  the  boat,  Wolf, 
and  I  want  her  badly,  but  not  enough  to  run  in 
debt  for  her,"  added  he. 

"Suppose  we  do  as  Major  Toppleton  and  Colonel 
Wimpleton  did  on    the  steamers." 

"What's  that?" 

"Mark." 

"I'm  willing  to  mark;  but  I'm  afraid  I  can't  hit 
your  figures,  Wolf,  for  the  Belle  is  a  valuable  piece 
of  property.  I  ought  to  know  that,  if  no  one  else 
does." 

"  You  write  what  you  are  willing  to  give,  and  I 
will  write  what  I  am  willing  to  take.  If  my  fig- 
ures are  lower  than  yours,  they  shall  be  the  price 
of  the  boat,  and   the  trade  is  completed." 

"Your  figures?" 

"Yes." 

2 


18  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

"Why  not  my  figures,  if  they  are  higher  than 
yours  ?  " 

"  If  you  give  all  I  ask,  that's  enough.  If  my  fig- 
ures are  higher  than  yours,  we  will  split  the  differ- 
ence," I  continued,  handing  him  a  pencil  and  paper. 

"That's  fair,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned;  but  don't 
you  cheat  yourself,  "Wolf,"  replied  Tom,  taking  the 
paper  and  making  his  figures  upon  it,  after  con- 
siderable hesitation. 

"You  needn't  worry  about  me,  my  dear  fellow. 
Give  your  figures  to  Wad  die.  He  shall  stand  be- 
tween us,"  I  added,  as  I  wrote  my  own  valuation, 
and  handed  it  to  him. 

"There  is  considerable  difference  in  your  estimates," 
laughed  Waddie.  "What  am  I  to  do?  —  split  the  dif- 
ference ?  " 

"Not  unless  my  figures   are   higher  than  Tom's." 

"They  are  not,  Wolf.  Tom's  are  a  mile  and  a 
half  higher  than   yours." 

"  Then  the  boat  is  sold  at  my  price,"  I  added. 

"  Cheap  enough ! "  exclaimed  Waddie. 

"  What  are  the  figures  ? "  asked  Tom. 

"You  marked  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  Tom, 
and  Wolf  marked  fifty  dollars.    So  the  Belle  is  sold." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  19 

"  So  am  I,"  said   the   skipper. 

"  Are  you  not  satisfied  ?  " 

"No;  I  feel  just  as  though  I  had  been  overreached. 
See  here,  Wolf  Penniman;  I  didn't  mean  to  have 
you  give  me  this  boat." 

"I  haven't  given  her  to  you." 

"I  supposed  you  would  ask  three  or  four  hun- 
dred dollars  for  her." 

"I  am  satisfied,  Tom.  I  have  made  money  out 
of  her,  and  now  I  get  back  all  she  cost  me." 

"But  don't  you  think  it's  an  insult  to  the  Belle 
to  sell  her  for  fifty  dollars?"  laughed  Tom. 

"If  she  does  not  complain,  you  need  not." 

"  Wolf,  I  don't  feel  exactly  right  about  it.  I  have 
a  kind  of  an  idea  that  you  have  taken  pity  on  me, 
for  a  poor,  miserable  fellow  as  I  am,  and  given  me 
the  boat." 

"No  such  thing,  Tom!"  I  protested. 

"Didn't  I  say  there  was  a  man  in  town  that 
would  bid  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  on  her  if  she 
was  put  up   at   auction?" 

"I  don't  know  him,  Tom;  and  I'm  afraid  he 
would  not  use  her  kindly.    The  Belle  is  yours." 


20  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"I  can  afford  to  give  you  a  hundred  for  her  with- 
out busting  the  Middleport  Bank.  Don't  you  think 
I'd  better  do  it?" 

"Certainly  not,  Tom.    A  trade  is  a  trade." 

"But  I  feel  just  as  though  I  had  stolen  her." 

"  Don't  feel  so,  my  dear  fellow.  I  will  give  you  a 
bill  of  sale  when  I  can  get  something  to  write  it  with. 
It's  all  right  now,  Tom.  'Be  virtuous  and  you  will 
be  happy,'  and  your  boat  will  sail  all  the  faster 
for  it." 

"I  am  happy,  Wolf  I  have  saved  up  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  I  thought  that  would 
almost  buy  the  Belle.  Now  I'm  just  a  hundred 
in.  I'm  going  into  the  general  navigation  business, 
and  I  want  some  more  boats,  to  let,  and  I'm  lucky 
enough  to  have  the  capital  to  invest  in  them.  I 
shall  buy  some  row-boats,  for  there  are  lots  of  peo- 
ple that  want  to  hire  them." 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  will  do  a  good  business 
letting  boats,  Tom.  Rowing  is  a  great  art,  and  a 
healthy  one.  But  have  good  boats.  Don't  buy  poor 
ones  because  they  are  cheap." 

"Not  I,  Wolf;  my  boats  shall  be  first  chop,  <A, 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE  UCAYGA.  21 

No.  1,  prime.'  But  I  suppose  you  gentlemen  want 
some  dinner  —  don't  you?" 

"  We  do  want  some  dinner,  Tom,"  I  replied.  "  I 
make  a  business  of  attending  to  that  matter  every 
day." 

"Exactly  so,  Wolf.  That's  just  what  you  thought 
the  last  time  you  thought  so." 

"  Eating  dinner  I  have  always  found  to  be  a  healthy 
amusement,  and  I  intend  to  follow  it  up  as  long  as 
I  live,  and  can  get  any  dinner  to  eat,"  I  replied. 

"You  will  always  get  it,  Wolf,  for  you  are  a  rich 
man  now;  and  you  will  die  worth  a  million,  if  you 
don't  die  before  you  have  a  million.  Now,  if  you 
will  take  the  helm,  you  shall  have  a  beefsteak  and 
some  baked  potatoes,  first  chop,  A,  No.  1,  prime,  in 
about  half  an  hour,  more  or  less,  but  rather  more 
than  less." 

I  took  the  tiller,  and  Tom  went  into  the  cuddy 
to  prepare  the  meal.  In  half  an  hour,  more  or  less, 
we  had  the  beefsteak  and  baked  potatoes,  smoking 
hot,  done  to  a  turn,  and  just  as  nice  as  the  best 
hotel  in   the  country  could  furnish. 


22  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 


CHAPTER  II. 

A   NEW  ACQUAINTANCE. 

WE  left  Middleport  early  in  the  morning,  and 
when  we  dined,  we  were  above  Priam.  "We 
intended  to  land  at  a  point  near  the  residence  of 
my  old  friend  Captain  Portman,  to  enable  me  to 
call  upon  him.  We  arrived  at  this  point  early  in 
the  afternoon.  Waddie  was  not  acquainted  with 
my  friend,  and  did  not  care  to  call  upon  him;  but 
he  decided  to  take  a  walk  on  shore,  and  we  pro- 
ceeded together  till  we  came  to  the  entrance  to 
Captain  Portman's  grounds.  He  was  a  wealthy  gen- 
tleman, who  had  chosen  this  wild  region  for  his 
residence,  for  he  was  a  genuine  lover  of  the  beau- 
ties of  nature,  and  enjoyed  them  as  much  in  the 
winter  as   the  summer. 

The    country    was    exceedingly   wild    and    rugged. 
The  rocks  rose  in   precipitous   steeps   at  times,   and 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OP  LAKE  UCAYGA.     23 

there  was  a  profusion  of  cascades  and  cataracts.  One 
might  follow  a  stream  through  the  depths  of  the 
primeval  forests,  and  find  it  leaping  from  the  preci- 
pices a  dozen  times  in  a  single  mile.  In  the  midst 
of  this  magnificent  scenery  Captain  Portman  had  built 
his  mansion,  selecting  a  rugged  steep  for  its  site ; 
and  here  Nature  and  Art  had  joined  hands  to  in- 
crease the  loveliness  of  the  place.  Half  a  mile  from 
his  house,  on  the  road  to  Priam,  was  the  Cataract 
House  —  a  hotel  which  had  received  its  name  from 
a  grand  and  beautiful  waterfall  in  the.  vicinity.  At 
this  house,  during  the  summer,  many  wealthy  people 
boarded. 

When  we  reached  the  road  which  leads  from 
Hitaca  to  Priam,  Wad  die  turned  to  the  right  and 
I  turned  to  the  left.  I  was  about  to  enter  the  rus- 
tic gateway  which  opened  into  the  estate  of  Cap- 
tain Portman,  when  I  was  startled-  by  a  succession 
of  shrill  screams.  I  saw  Waddie  spring  into  the 
woods  which  bounded  the  road  on  the  left.  The 
voice  of  the  person  in  distress  —  for  I  supposed  no 
one  would  scream  unless  in  distress  —  was  that  of  a 
female.      Of  course    I    was   interested ;    and,  turning 


24  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

from  the  gateway,  I  rushed  down  the  road,  and 
followed  Waddie  into  the  woods. 

I  had  made  such  good  time  that  I  overtook  my 
fellow-voyager  before  he  reached  the  scene  of  the 
adventure.  The  trees  were  very  large,  and  the 
grove  had  been  cleared  up  on  the  ground  for  the 
convenience  of  the  visitors  at  the  Cataract  House, 
so  that  we  could  see  some  distance;  and  we  soon 
discovered  the  person  who  had  uttered  the  terrific 
screams.  She  was  a  young  lady,  elegantly  dressed, 
and  apparently  not  more  than  seventeen  years  old. 

"  Help !  Help ! "  she  cried,  as  she  stood  apparently 
paralyzed. 

But  we  could  see  nothing  to  alarm  her,  though 
we  discovered  a  young  gentleman  in  the  distance 
"  making  tracks "  in   the   direction  of  the   hotel. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  her?"  asked  Waddie. 

"I  don't  see  anything  to  frighten  her." 

"I  do,"  added  Waddie,  as  we  stepped  forward, 
and  discovered  a  small  black  bear,  which  a  huge 
tree  had  before  hidden  from  our  view. 

"  A  bear ! "  I  exclaimed. 

The  creature  stood  up  on  his  hind  legs,  and  was 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     25 

reaching  forward  with  his  right  fore  paw  towards  the 
young  lady,  while  the  left  was  dropped  at  his  side. 
For  my  own  part,  I  do  not  remember  that  I  had 
ever  even  seen  a  bear  before,  and  I  confess  that  I  did 
not  like  the  looks  of  him.  Whether  Waddie  shared 
my  feeling  or  not  I  do  not  know;  but  he  quickened 
his  pace,  and  soon  placed  himself  by  the  side  of  the 
interesting  sufferer.  Neither  of  us  had  a  club,  knife, 
or  other  weapon,  and  we  were  not  in  condition  to 
face  a  wild  beast. 

"  Save  me ! "  gasped  the  young  lady. 

"I  will  conduct  you  to  the  hotel,  if  you  please," 
said  Waddie,  hardly  noticing  the  bear,  which  still 
sat  upon  his  haunches,  with  his  right  paw  extended 
towards  the  terrified   maiden. 

"  O,  dear  me !  I  cannot  move,"  sighed  she. 

Waddie  took  her  by  the  arm,  and  supported  her. 
As  they  moved  off,  the  bear  followed. 

"He's  coming !"  cried  the  lady;  and,  afraid  that 
the  awful  monster  would  pounce  upon  her  behind, 
she  halted  and  faced  him  again. 

The  moment  they  stopped,  Bruin  stood  up  on  his 
haunches  again,  and  held  out  his  paw  as  before.     I 


26  BEAR  AND   FOEBEAR,    OR 

came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  he  intended  to  eat 
any  one  up,  he  would  have  begun  before  this  time, 
and  I  ventured  to  place  myself  between  him  and 
the  lady.  This  brave  movement  on  my  part  seemed 
to  afford  the  lady  some  relief;  but  she  clung  to 
Waddie  as  though  she  expected  to  be  devoured, 
brown  silk  dress,  laces,  ruffles,  and  all.  The  bear 
looked  at  me  a  moment,  as  I  stood  about  a  rod  dis- 
tant from  him.  Dropping  upon  all  fours  again,  he 
cantered  towards  me.  I  was  inclined  to  beat  a  re- 
treat, but  somehow  the  animal  did  not  seem  to  be 
as  ferocious  as  wild  beasts  have  the  credit  of  be- 
ing, and,  though  it  required  no  little  resolution  on 
my  part,  I  decided  to  stand  my  ground. 

The  bear  was  about  the  size  of  a  full-grown  New- 
foundland dog,  but  broader  across  the  back,  and 
much  heavier,  weighing,  I  judged,  over  a  hundred 
pounds.  He  opened  his  mouth  as  though  in  the 
act  of  laughing.  I  had  had  no  experience  with 
wild  animals,  but  I  had  an  idea  that  they  howled 
and  made  a  "general  row"  when  they  were  savage, 
and  intended  to  do  mischief.  After  the  first  sight 
of  the  bear,  my  courage   gradually  increased,  and  I 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.  27 

am  happy  to  say  that  I  did  full  justice  to  my  valor 
on  this  occasion.  I  did  not  run  away.  The  bear 
came  close  to  me,  and  then  erecting  himself  again, 
he  extended  his  right  paw  as  before,  looking  up  into 
my  face  as  pleasantly  and  cunningly  as  though  he 
had  been  a  playful   child. 

The  fellow  evidently  means  something  by  his  ac- 
tion ;  but  I  was  not  sufficiently  skilled  in  bear  nature 
to  comprehend  him.  He  was  not  savage,  and  did 
not  exhibit  the  slightest  intention  to  use  the  fine 
rows  of  elegant  teeth  which  he  displayed.  This  as- 
surance was  very  comforting  to  me.  I  retreated  two 
or  three  paces  as  a  strategic  movement,  in  order  to 
develop  the  further  intentions  of  the  enemy,  if  he 
was  an  enemy.  The  rascal  followed  me,  again  stood 
up,  and  presented  his  paw. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,  miss.  He  will  not  hurt  any- 
thing," said  I,  as  the  young  lady  was  again  alarmed 
by  the  last  move  of  the  bear.  "He  is  quite  harm- 
less." 

"  I  am  afraid  he  will  bite  me ! "  gasped  she ;  and 
she  woul'd  not  have  suffered  any  more  if  she  had 
already  been   bitten. 


28  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"Shall  I  leave  you,  Wolf?"  asked  Waddle. 

"Yes,  certainly;  the  bear  is  as  harmless  as  a  kit- 
ten," I  replied. 

"Allow  ine  to  conduct  you  to  the  hotel,"  added 
Waddie,  gallantly.  "I  suppose  you  are  staying  at 
the   hotel." 

"Yes;  I  had  been  walking  with  Lord  Palsgrave, 
when  that  awful  creature  came  upon  me,"  she  replied. 

"Whom  did  I  understand  you  to  say  you  were 
walking  with?" 

"  With  Lord  Palsgrave." 

"  Ah,  then  you  are  English  people  ?  "  added  Waddie, 
who  was  doubtless  duly  impressed  with  the  quality  of 
his  new  acquaintance. 

"  Lord  Palsgrave  is  English,  but  I  am  not." 

"If  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  conduct  you  to  the 
hotel." 

"  I  am  so  frightened,  I  fear  I  cannot  walk  so  far." 

"  You  need  not  leave  on  account  of  the  bear,"  I 
interposed.  "He  is  as  gentle  and  tame  as  a  baby 
kitten." 

By  this  time  I  had  discovered  what  Bruin  meant  by 
his    mysterious   movement  with  the   right   fore  paw. 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OP  LAKE  UCAYGA.     29 

When  I  had  worked  my  courage  up  to  the  sticking 
point,  I  extended  my  hand  towards  him,  to  see  if  he 
would  snap  at  it.  If  he  did,  I  concluded  that  I  should 
use  a  big  stone  which  lay  on  the  ground  at  my  feet. 
If  he  wanted  to  fight,  I  felt  that,  in  the  cause  of  a 
terrified  maiden,  —  very  pretty,  too,  at  that,  —  I  could 
afford  to  test  the  relative  hardness  of  the  bear's  head 
and  the    rock. 

But  I  wronged  him.  The  bear  had  no  belligerent 
intentions.  He  was  evidently  a  good  fellow  in  his 
way ;  and,  if  bearish  in  his  manners,  he  was  friendly  in 
his  disposition.  Instead  of  snapping  at  my  hand,  he 
reached  forward  his  paw,  and  I  realized  then  that  he 
only  desired  to  shake  hands  with  me.  I  had  learned  a 
sufficient  amount  of  politeness  to  accommodate  him 
in  this  respect,  and  when  I  took  his  paw  he  bowed 
his  head  several  times,  to  indicate  his  pleasure  at 
making  my  acquaintance.  I  could  not  suffer  myself 
to  be  behind  him  in  courtesy,  and  I  bowed  as  often  as 
he  did. 

I  heard  Waddie  laughing  heartily,  and  turning 
round,  I  saw  that  the  young  lady  was  beginning  to 
smile  at  the  passage  of  compliments  between  me  and 


30  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

the  bear.  I  must  say  that  I  was  delighted  with  my 
new  acquaintance,  he  was  so  very  polite  and  well 
mannered.  But  I  had  not  yet  measured  the  depth  of 
his  affection  for  me.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  merely 
bowing  and  shaking  hands  with  me,  but  insisted  upon 
hugging  me.  First  he  embraced  my  arm,  and  then 
my  body,  though  I  did  not  yet  feel  quite  well  enough 
acquainted  with  him  to  endure  the  final  transport  of 
his  devotion.  I  shook  him  off,  and  he  tumbled  upon 
the  ground.  Then  he  began  to  roll  over,  as  a  dog  is 
taught  to  do,  making  the.  most  extravagant  demon- 
strations of  affectionate  regard  towards  me.  In  a  few 
moments  I  was  rolling  on  the  grass  with  him,  and  I 
felt  confidence  enough  in  his  good  intentions  to  return 
his  embraces.  I  put  my  hand  in  his  mouth,  but  he 
did  not  bite ;  and  though  his  sharp  claws  were  rather 
trying  to  the  nap  of  my  coat,  he  used  them  only  in 
sport. 

"Won't  you  come  up  and  shake  hands  with  him, 
Miss  —  " 

"Miss  Dornwood,"  she  added,  supplementing  my 
question.  "No,  I  thank  you.  I  thought  he  was  a 
wild  bear." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.  31 

"No,  lie  is  as  tame  as  a  kitten.  He  only  wanted 
to  shake  hands  with  you.  I  am  sure  he  would  not 
hurt  any  one." 

"He  is  real  funny;  and  *I  wish  I  dared  to  play 
with  him,"  added  she,  shrinking  back,  as  Bruin  fol- 
lowed me  a  little  nearer  to  the  place  where  she 
stood. 

"Don't  bring  him  any  nearer,  Wolf,"  laughed 
Wadclie.    "  'Distance  lends  enchantment  to  the  view.' " 

I  sat  down  upon  a  rock,  and  continued  to  play 
with  the  bear,  while  Wacldie  and  Miss  Dornwood 
watched  the   sport  at  a  respectful  distance. 

"I  don't  know  what  I  am  to  do  with  this  fellow, 
now  I  have  made  his  acquaintance,"  I  continued,  as  I 
tumbled  him  over  upon  the  ground  when  his  embraces 
became  a  little  too  ardent.  "  I  see  by  the  looks  of  his 
neck  that  he  has  been  in  the  habit  of  wearing  a 
collar." 

"  If  you  will  only  keep  him  away  from  me,  I  don't 
care  what  you  do  with  him,"  said  Miss  Dornwood. 
"I  don't  think  they  ought  to  let  such  creatures 
wander  about  these  grounds,  for  it  is  almost  as  bad 
to  be  frightened  to  death  as  to  be  eaten  up." 


32  BEAR   AND   FORBEAEj   OB 

"Where  is  the  gentleman  who  was  with  you?" 
asked   Waddie. 

"He  went  to  the  hotel  after  a  vehicle,  for  we 
intended  to  take  a  ride  along  the  lake  when  we  saw 
this  road.  We  only  arrived  this  morning,  and  we 
find  it  a  very  beautiful  region." 

"  There  come  three  men,"  added  Waddie,  pointing 
into  the  woods. 

I  recognized  Captain  Portman  as  one  of  them. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  33 


CHAPTER    III. 


AN   ANGRY    GUARDIAN. 


OW  do  you  do,  Captain  Penniman?  I  am 
delighted  to  see  you,"  said  Captain  Portnian, 
coming  np  to  me,  and    extending   his  hand. 

As  I  took  his  hand,  a  burst  of  laughter  from 
Wadclie  and  Miss  Dornwood  attracted  my  attention. 
Turning  my  head  to  ascertain  what  amused  them,  I 
saw  the  bear  standing  on  his  hind  legs,  and  extending 
his  paw,  as  he  had  done  to  me,  evidently  wishing  to 
shake  hands  with  the  new  comer.  Captain  Portnian 
took  his  offered  paw,  and  gave  Bruin  a  warm  greeting. 

"So,  my  old  rogue,  you  have  got  away  again,"  said 
he,  as  he  patted  the  bear  on  the  head. 

"You  seem  to  be  acquainted  with  my  old  friend 
here,"  said  I. 

"Yes,  he  belongs  to  me;  but  he  bothers  me  sadly," 
replied  Captain  Portman.  "Unless  we  buckle  his 
3 


34  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

collar  very  tight,  he  slips  it  over  his  head ;  and  if  it  is 
tight,  it  worries  him  and  makes  him  cross.  He  has 
got  out  of  my  grounds  several  times,  and  frightened 
strangers  staying  at  the  hotel.  The  landlord  says  he 
will   shoot   him,  if  he  finds  him  loose   again." 

"  He  frightened  this  young  lady,"  I  added. 

"I  am  very  sorry,"  said  Captain  Portman,  turning 
to  the  lady.     "  He  is  entirely  harmless." 

"I  see  he  is  now,  sir;  but  I  supposed  he  was  a  wild 
bear,"  replied  Miss  Dornwood. 

"When  I  knew  he  was  loose,  I  hastened  to  find  him, 
lest  the  landlord  should  put  his  threat  into  execution," 
continued  Captain  Portman,  caressing  the  bear.  "  He 
makes  so  much  trouble  that  I  am  afraid  I  shall  have 
to  get  rid  of  him;  but  I  do  not  like  the  idea  of  killing 
him  while  he  makes  himself  so  agreeable.  If  you 
will  take  him,  Wolf,  I  will  give  him  to  you,  for  I 
know  you  will  treat  him    kindly." 

"Thank  you,  sir.     I  should   be   delighted    to    own 
him,"  I    answered.     "I  have  a  nice  place  for  him  at 
home." 
"  "You   shall  have  him." 

"He  and  I  will  be  warm  friends." 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPEE    OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.  35 

And  Bruin,  as  if  he  comprehended  the  new  relation 
between  us,   gave  me   one    of  his   warmest   hugs. 

"  How  do  you  happen  to  be  here,  Wolf,  without 
calling   upon  me?"  asked    Captain   Portman. 

"I  was  just  going  up  to  your  house  when  I  heard 
this  lady  scream,  and  I  hastened  back  to  her  assist- 
ance." 

"Gallant  as  ever,"  said  he,  laughing.  "Then  I 
shall  see  you  again  to-day." 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  will  call  at  your  house  in  the  course 
of  the  afternoon." 

"  My  men  will  take  care  of  the  bear  for  you  till  you 
are  ready  to  return  to  Middleport,  if  you   desire." 

I  assented  to  this  arrangement,  and  the  two  men 
who  came  with  Captain  Portman  took  charge  of  the 
bear,  though  he  was  very  unwilling  to  be  'separated 
from  me.  I  should  have  gone  with  the  captain,  but 
I  desired  to  see  Lord  Palsgrave,  for  whom  Miss 
Dornwood  was  waiting.  I  had  never  seen  a  live 
lord,  and  I  was  anxious  to  behold  the  phenomenon. 
I  supposed  he  would  soon  appear  with  the  vehicle 
for  which  he  had  gone. 

"I  am  very   much  obliged  to  you  for  the  service 


36  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

you  have  rendered  me,  gentlemen,"  said  she,  as  the 
party  moved  off   with  the  bear. 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  Waddie.  "I  am  very  glad, 
for  one,  to  have   served  you." 

"And  I  have  made  an  excellent  friend  by  the 
adventure,"  I  added. 

"Do  you  refer  to  the  bear,  or  to  me?"  said  Miss 
Dornwood,   archly. 

"I  confess  that  I   referred  to  the  bear." 

"I  hope  you  will  include  me." 

"  Then  I  have  made  two  excellent  friends." 

"Lord  Palsgrave  seems  to  be  a  long  time  obtain- 
ing the  vehicle,"  she  added,  glancing  towards  the  road. 

"Is  Lord  Palsgrave   an  old  gentleman?"   I  asked. 

"Dear  me!  No,"  replied  Miss  Dornwood,  with  a 
blush.     "He   is   only  nineteen." 

"Nineteen!  Well,  I  had  an  idea  that  lords  were 
always  old   men." 

"Not  at  all.     Lord  Palsgrave  is  quite  a  young  man." 

"  Was  it  he  we  saw  going  towards  the  hotel  when 
you  screamed?" 

"  Yes ;  he  left  me  only  a  few  moments  before  I 
saw  the  bear." 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     37 

I  came  to  the  conclusion,  guided  partly  by  the 
blush  which  mantled  her  cheek  when  she  spoke  of 
him,  and  partly  by  the  fact  that  his  lordship  was 
only  nineteen,  that  he  was  a  lover ;  and  I  was  rather 
sorry  that  she  was  already  entangled,  for  I  thought 
Waddie  regarded  Miss  Dornwood  with  more  interest 
than  I  had  ever  before  seen  him  look  upon  a  young 
lady.  She  was  certainly  a  very  pretty  girl,  and  I  did 
not  blame  Lord  Palsgrave  for  taking  a  fancy  to  her. 

His  lordship  did  not  come  with  the  vehicle,  though 
an  hour  had  elapsed  since  his  departure,  and  Miss 
Dornwood  was  beginning  to  be  impatient.  We  did 
not  think  it  was  polite  to  leave  her,  and  we  continued 
to  talk  about  the  bear,  Lord  Palsgrave,  and  such  other 
topics  as  we  could  find  available.  While  we  were  thus 
engaged,  I  saw  a  lady  and  gentleman  approaching  us. 
As  they  came  nearer,  the  latter  disengaged  himself 
from  his  companion,  and  hastened  to  the  spot  where 
we  stood.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-five,  and 
looked  very  cross.  I  did  not  like  the  looks  cf  him,  and 
I  saw  that  Miss  Dornwood  was  very  much  disturbed 
by  his  coming. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here,  Edith  ?  "  demanded  he, 


38  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

bestowing  a  contemptuous  glance  upon  Wadclie  and 
myself. 

"  I  am  waiting  for  Lord  Palsgrave,"  she  replied,  her 
cheek  flushed,  and   her  lips  trembling. 

"Who  are  these  persons?"  continued  he. 

"  I  do  not  know  who  they  are,  but  they  have  been 
very  kind  to  me,  and  I  am  very  grateful  to  them." 

"No  doubt  you  are!"  sneered  the  gentleman;  and 
I  realized  that  we  had  encountered  another  bear, 
though  not  so  well  behaved  as  the  first  had  been.  "Do 
you  pick  up  acquaintances  in  this  manner  without 
my  knowledge?" 

"Why,  Charles!" 

I  saw  that  Miss  Dornwood  was  greatly  agitated 
and  deeply  grieved  at  this  ungentle  treatment,  and 
I  did  not  wonder  at  it. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  ?"  he  continued,  rudely. 

"I  am  waiting  for  Lord  Palsgrave." 

"I  don't  wonder  that  Lord  Palsgrave  does  not 
come,  if  he  sees  you  engaged  in  this  manner.  Do 
you  put  yourself  on  familiar  terms  with  entire 
strangers  ?  " 

"  How    rude    you    are,    Charles ! "  exclaimed   Miss 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     39 

Dornwood,  struggling  to  repress  her  tears  at  his 
unkind  treatment. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  interposed  Waddie ;  "  but 
there  was  another  bear  —  there  was  a  bear  in  the 
woods  here.  The  lady  encountered  him,  and  we 
came  to  her  assistance." 

"A  bear!"  sneered  the  gentleman. 

"A  bear,  sir!"  repeated  Waddie,  with  emphasis. 
"  It  is  true,  he  was  a  tame  bear,  but  he  frightened  the 
lady,  •  and  her  screams  attracted  our  attention." 

"If  you  have  rendered  her  any  assistance,  I  am 
obliged  to  you  for  it,"  said  the  gentleman,  coldly. 
"Edith,  go  back  to  the  hotel." 

"Lord  Palsgrave  told  me  to  meet  him  at  the  road 
when  he  came  with  the  carriage,"  pleaded  the  young 
lady. 

"I  insist  that  you  return  to  the  hotel,"  added  the 
gentleman,  almost  fiercely.  "I  have  forbidden  your 
making  acquaintances  without  my  knowledge." 

"I  couldn't  help  it,  Charles." 

"Will  you  return  to  the  hotel?" 

"No;  I  will  not,  Charles!  I  will  not  be  treated 
in   this    rude   manner  before    strangers,"  she  replied, 


40  BEAR    AND    FOEBEAE,    OK 

bursting  into  tears,  and  retreating  a  few  paces  from 
her  tormentor. 

"  So,  miss!  Do  you  dare  to  disobey  me?"  demand- 
ed he,  his  cheeks  red  with  anger. 

"I  will  not  be  treated  in  this  manner  before 
strangers,"  she  replied,  with  spirit,  as  she  wiped  away 
her  tears. 

"What  will  Lord  Palsgrave  say  when  he  finds 
you  making  friends   so  easily?" 

"I  don't  care  what  he  says;  but  I  will  not  be 
treated  like  a  little  child,  Charles  Overton." 

"We  will  see!  Will  you  return  to  the  hotel,  or 
shall  I  carry  you  there?"  said  the  brute,  stepping 
towards  her. 

"Neither,  Charles,"  she  answered,  retreating  a  step 
or  two  before  him.  "These  young  gentlemen  came 
to  my  assistance  when  I  needed  their  help,  and  I  am 
very  grateful  to  them." 

"I  trust  you  have  thanked  the  young  gentlemen 
for  their  service." 

"I  have." 

"  That's  enough,  then.  Now  you  will  return  to  the 
hotel." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCATGA.  41 

"I  will  not,  Charles  Overton.  I  have  obeyed  you 
in  all  things ;  but  when  you  insult  me  before  strangers, 
and  insult   them   too,  I  will  not  endure  it." 

"Very  fine,  Edith!  But  you  will  return  to  the 
hotel,  and  obey  me  now,  as  you  always  have  done." 

"  I  shall  return  to  the  hotel  when  I  am  ready  to  do 
so,  but  not  before ; "  and  Edith  looked  as  though  she 
meant  all  she  said. 

Behind  all  this  there  was  evidently  a  history  of 
which  Waddle  and  I  were  entirely  ignorant.  I  con- 
cluded that  the  irritable  gentleman  was  the  young 
lady's  guardian,  and  was  doubtless  armed  with  proper 
authority  to  command  and  control  her.  But  she  was 
not  less  than  seventeen,  and  certainly  she  was  entitled 
to  some  consideration  from  him.  As  she  had  sug- 
gested, he  treated  her  like  a  little  child,  and  his  con- 
duct was  rude  and  ungentlemanly  in  the  extreme.  I 
sympathized  with  Edith ;  but  I  did  not  deem  it  proper 
or  prudent  to  interfere.  I  saw  that  Waddie,  who  was 
naturally  rash  and  impetuous,  found  it  exceedingly 
difficult  to  restrain  himself  under  the  provocation. 

"  Edith,  you  shall  obey  me ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Overton, 
springing  towards  her,  with  the'  intention  of  dragging 
her  back  to  the  hotel. 


42  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

"I.  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  interposed  Waddie,  step- 
ping between  the  angry  guardian  and  bis  ward.  "I 
hope  you  will  not  use  any  violence." 

At  that  moment  I  heard  a  kind  of  clattering  noise, 
and  turning,  I  saw  the  bear  rushing  at  railroad 
speed  towards  us.  He  had  doubtless  escaped  from 
Captain  Portman's  men,  and  had  come  back  to  re- 
new the  agreeable  acquaintance  he  had  made.  Now, 
Mr.  Overton  happened  to  be  the  nearest  person  to  him 
as  he  approached  the  group,  and  Bruin  leaped  up  to 
him,  and  placed  his  paws  upon  the  arm  extended  to 
grasp  Edith.  Perhaps  he  thought  the  parties  were 
playing,  and  he  wished  to  have  a  hand  in  the  game. 

Mr.  Overton  evidently  had  not  seen  the  bear  till  he 
felt  his  paws  upon  his  arm.  A  man  who  is  a  tyrant  is 
necessarily  a  coward ;  and  turning  his  head,  the  savage 
guardian  saw  the  bear,  with  his  mouth  open.  His 
expression  was  one  of  abject  terror,  and,  starting  back, 
he  shook  the  playful  animal  from  him.  Bruin  im- 
mediately stood  up,  and  extended  his  paw,  as  though 
he  were  ready  to  make  friends  with  all  mankind.  To 
my  surprise,  Miss  Dornwood  grasped  the  paw  with 
her   gloved   hand,    and    shook  it  warmly.     Probably 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCATGA.  43 

she  thought  that,  between  the  two  bears,  he  was  the 
less  savage  and  bearish. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  like  him  any  better  than  I  did 
at  first,"  said  Edith,  glancing  at  Mr.  Overton,  who  had 
retreated  to  a  safe  distance.  "  I  suppose  I  am  forbid- 
den to  make  his  acquaintance,  bat  I  shall  do  so." 

Bruin  had  doubtless  been  trained  to  respect  ladies, 
and  did  not  offer  any  rough  familiarities  to  her,  as  he 
had  to  me.  He  stood  up  before  her,  and  received 
her  caresses  with  a  good-natured  grin.  Mr.  Overton, 
seeing  that  the  bear  did  not  proceed  to  eat  any  of  us 
up,  regained  his  self-possession. 

"If  you  wish  to  avoid  trouble,  Edith,  you  will  go  to 
the  hotel  at  once,"  said  he,  renewing  the   attack. 

"I  shall  not  go,"  she  replied,  earnestly. 

"Then  I  shall  lead  you  there." 

And  stepping  forward  to  enforce  his  threat,  the  bear, 
perhaps  thinking  he  meant  to  have  a  frolic,  sprang 
upon  him  with  extended  paws. 

"Take  him  away!  Take  him  away!"  cried  Mr. 
Overton,  utterly  unable  to  appreciate  the  familiar 
overtures   of  the  bear. 

"He  will   not  hurt  you,  sir." 


44  BEAR  AND   FOBBEAE,   OE 

"Take  him   off— will   you?"  gasped  he,  in  terror. 
"  Here,  Bruin,  come  here,"  interposed  Edith,  pulling 
him  by  the  neck. 

The  bear  turned  to  her,  stood  up,  and  extended  his 
paw  to  her. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  45 


CHAPTER  IV. 


FIRE    ON"    THE    LAKE. 


BEGAN"  to  think  my  bear  was  as  fickle  as 
human  beings,  for  he  seemed  to  have  taken 
quite  .a  fancy  to  Edith.  Certainly,  in  this  respect,  I 
was  willing  to  believe  he  was  a  bear  of  excellent  taste. 

He  did  not  offer  to  hug  her  arm,  or  to  take  other 
liberties  with  her,  but  was  very  affectionate,  while  he 
was  very  circumspect.  Mr.. Overton  did  not  again 
attempt  to  use  force  with  the  young  lady  while  she 
was  thus   guarded. 

"Let  the  ugly  beast  alone,  Edith!"  growled  her 
disconcerted  guardian. 

"He  behaves  very  well  now,  Charles,  and  I  am  not 
afraid  of  him." 

"  Once  more,  are  you  going  to  the  hotel,  or  not  ?  " 

"Very  soon  I  am,  if  Lord  Palsgrave  does  not 
appear,"  she  replied,  still  caressing  Bruin. 


46  .  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"I  think,  Wad  die,  I  will  go  up  to  Captain  Port- 
man's.  His  men  are  coming  again  after  the  bear,  and 
I  will  take  him  along  with  me,"  I  interposed.  "  Come, 
Bruin,  old  fellow,  don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

I  put  my  hand  upon  his  head,  and  he  leaped  upon 
me,  as  though  he  was  heartily  glad  to  renew  the 
acquaintance. 

"  I  am  going  to  the  hotel,  Miss  Dornwood,"  said 
Waddie,  touching  his  cap  to  the  young  lady,  and  mov- 
ing in  the   direction  indicated. 

She  placed  herself  at  his  side,  and  they  started  to- 
gether. 

"  You  are  not  going  with  her,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Overton, 
angrily. 

"  Then  she  will  go  with  me." 

"  You  young  puppy ! " 

"  Gently,  if  you  please,  sir,"  added  Waddie,  quietly. 

"  Stop,  Edith  ! "  commanded  the  guardian. 

"  You  told  me  to  go  to  the  hotel,  Charles,  and  I 
am  going,"  she  replied. 

"  Not  with  that  young  man." 

"  That  shall  be  as  he  pleases." 

"No;  it  shall  be  as  I  please.  Stop,  sir!  Do  you 
hear  me?"  cried  Mr.  Overton. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    TJCAYGA.  47 

"If  I  understand  the  matter,  sir,  you  have  no  control 
over  me,  if  you  have  over  this  lady,"  replied  Waddie, 
turning  around  to  address  the  guardian. 

They  continued  on  their  walk,  followed  by  Mr. 
Overton,  who  was  presently  joined  by  the  lady  he  had 
left  when  he  came  forward  to  discipline  his  ward. 
They  soon  disappeared  among  the  trees,  and  I  made 
my  way  to  the  mansion  of  Captain  Portman,  where  I 
spent  a  couple  of  hours  very  pleasantly.  •  I  told  him 
about  the  adventure  we  had  had  with  Edith  and  her 
guardian. 

"  I  pity  the  poor  girl,"  I  added  ;  "  for  this  Mr.  Over, 
ton  is  a  petty  tyrant,  who  must  make  her  very  unconu 
fortable." 

"Doubtless  it  is  very  unfortunate  for  her;  but  it  is 
one  of  those  cases  with  which  outsiders  cannot  med- 
dle," replied  my  friend. 

"  I  think  he  would  have  dragged  her  up  to  the  hotel 
by  force,  if  the  bear  had  not  interfered." 

"Well,  the  interference  came  better  from  the  bear 
than   from   you." 

"  Do  you  think  one  ought  to  stand  by,  and  see  a  man 
abuse  a  young  lady  without  taking  her  part  ? "  I  in- 
quired, with  considerable  interest. 


48  BEAR   AND    F0EBEAE,    OE 

"  That's  a  hard  question  to  answer,  Wolf.  The  gen- 
tleman is  her  guardian,  and  has  authority  over  her ; 
but  if  he  were  actually  abusing  her,  I  am  inclined  to 
think  I  should  interfere  on  my  own  responsibility. 
Yet  it  is  not  prudent  to  meddle  with  things  of  this 
kind." 

"I  am  afraid  Waddie  will  meddle,"  I  added. 

"  He  seemed  to  be  rather  interested  in  the  young 
lady." 

"  He  should  be  very  careful  what  he  does." 

"  I  must  go  over  to  the  hotel,  and  see  that  he  does 
not  get  into  trouble." 

"  But  you  will  come  and  spend  the  night  with  me, 
Wolf." 

"  We  intended  to  sleep  on  board  of  the  Belle." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  you  and  Waddie  to- 
night, and  I  hope  you  will  spend  a  day  with  me  before 
your  return  home." 

"  Thank  you,  sir.     I  will  do  so,  if  possible,"  I  replied. 

I  walked  to  the  hotel,  and  found  Waddie  on  the 
piazza.  He  looked  very  nervous  and  uneasy,  and  I  was 
afraid  something  had  happened. 

"  Where  is  the  young  lady  ?  "  I  asked. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  49 

"  She  is  in  the  house,"  he  replied.  "  I  was  hoping  I 
should  see  her  again.  There  is  something  wrong 
somewhere,  Wolf.  A  man  don't  treat  a  young  lady 
like  that  unless  there  is  something  wrong." 

"It  is  hardly  proper  for  us  to  meddle  with  the 
matter,"  I  suggested. 

"  I  don't  purpose  to  meddle  with  it,  unless  he  abuses 
her  before  my  face.  If  he  does  that,  I  shall  feel 
justified  in  protecting  her ;  for  a  man  has  no  right  to 
abuse  even  his  own  child.  But  I  should  like  to  know 
something  more  about  the  matter,"  continued  Waddie, 
warmly. 

"  Did  she  say  anything  to  you  on  your  way  up  to 
the  hotel?"  I  asked. 

"  Not  a  word.  We  were  talking  about  the  bear  all 
the  way.  Her  guardian  followed  close  to  us.  I  know 
by  her  sad  manner  that  she  is  in  trouble  all  the  time. 
After  the  brute  spoke  to  her  as  he  did,  my  sympathies 
were  all  with  her." 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall  be  likely  to  see  her  again. 
This  man  is  evidently  her  guardian,  and  he  will  take 
care  that  she  does  not  come  out  of  her  room  again  to- 
day." 

4 


50  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"I  would  give  #  good  deal  to  know  what  the  trouble 
is  between  them.  He  must  be  some  relation  to  her,  or 
she  would  not  call  him  Charles." 

"  Very  likely.  Did  you  see  Lord  Palsgrave  ?  "  I 
inquired. 

"  Not  a  lord,"  laughed  Waddie.  "  I  asked  the  land- 
lord about  him,  and  was  told  his  lordship  had  taken  a 
horse  and  buggy,  but  had  not  been  seen  since.  Mr. 
Overton  appears  to  be  a  little  worried  about  him ;  but 
I  don't  believe  he  has  run  away." 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  to  give  up  the  idea  of  seeing 
the  show  to-night,"  I  suggested. 

"  We  shall  be  about  here  a  few  days,  and  we  will 
come  up  to  the  hotel  again,"  replied  Waddie.  "  I  am 
ready  to  go  down  to  the  boat  when  you  are." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  anything  more  for  us  to  say 
or  do  here ; "  and  we  started  for  the  lake. 

Tom  had  put  the  Belle  in  good  order  during  our 
absence,  and  caught  some  fish  for  supper.  While  he 
was  cooking  them,  we  sat  in  the  cabin,  and  told  him 
our  adventure  in  the  woods,  informing  him  that  he 
would  have  a  black  bear  for  a  passenger  on  the  return 
voyage. 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     51 

"  If  he  only  behaves  himself,  I  don't  care  what  he 
is,"  laughed  the  young  skipper. 

"If he  don't  behave  well,  you  must  bear  with  him," 
said  Waddie. 

"  I'll  do  that,  for  I  can't  bear  to  quarrel  with  any- 
body, even  if  he  is  a  bear,"  added  Tom. 

"  It  is  barely  possible  that  he  may  help  you,  for  he 
can  bear  a  hand  in  an  emergency,"  I  continued. 

"Does  he  wear  gloves?"   asked  the  skipper. 

"No." 

"How  can  he  bare  a  hand,  then?"  grinned  Tom. 
"However  he  will  make  a  good  barometer." 

"He  knows  iceather  —  it  rains  or  not." 

"By  the  way,  Wolf,  is  he  barefooted?"  inquired 
Tom. 

"Yes,  and  barefaced." 

"Can  he  sing?" 

"Certainly;  he  is  a  barytone.  But,  punning  aside, 
I  must  go  home  a  day  sooner,  and  build  a  house  for 
him." 

"  Baronial  halls ! "  exclaimed  Waddie. 

"Forbear!"  I  added. 

«  What's  for  beaj  ?  "  asked  Tom.     "  Beefsteak  ?  " 


52  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  Not  an  ounce ;  he  must  have  no  meat.  It  would 
make  him  savage,  and  then  he  would  eat  up  all  the 
cats  and  kittens  in  the  neighborhood,  if  not  the  chil- 
dren," I  replied. 

"Don't  make  a  bugbear  of  him,  Wolf"  added 
Waddie. 

"Fish  ready!"  shouted  Tom.  "Bear  this  dish  to 
the  table,  if  you  please." 

"Let  the  table  bear  it,"  said  Waddie. 

"  The  fish  smells  good,  and  I  think  my  stomach  will 
bear  some  of  it,"  I  added,  as  we  seated  ourselves  at 
the  table. 

The  odor  of  the  dish  before  us  did  not  belie  its 
quality,  and  we  ate  a  very  hearty  supper.  For  a  va- 
cation, this  kind  of  life  exactly  suited  me.  I  enjoyed 
the  sailing  and  the  fishing  very  much,  and  it  was  de- 
lightful to  put  in  at  the  various  points  and  ramble 
on  shore,  while  sleeping  in  the  little  cabin  of  the 
Belle  added  a  new  excitement  to  the  cruise.  I  had 
begun  to  think  Ucayga  Lake  was  rather  too  small 
to  afford  full  scope  for  the  pleasures  of  such  an  occa- 
sion; and  I  thought,  when  I  was  able,  and  had  the 
time,  a  yacht  cruise  on  the  ocean  would  suit  me  ex- 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    ITCAYGA.  53 

actly.  But  the  lake  was  certainly  very  pleasant,  and 
I  was  not  disposed,  to  complain. 

When  we  had  finished  our  supper,  Waddie  and  I 
adjourned  to  the  standing-room,  in  order  to  give  Tom 
a  chance  to  wash  his  dishes  and  put  the  cabin  in 
order;  for  three  persons  about  filled  it,  so  that  there 
was  little  space  for  one  to  move  around.  It  was  near- 
ly dark,  and  there  was  a  fresh  breeze  on  the  lake.  We 
enjoyed  the  scene  very  much,  for  certainly  there  is 
no  more  beautiful  region  in  the  whole  world  than  that 
which  surrounded  us.  The  hills  and  the  precipitous 
rocks  were  in  strong  contrast  with  the  water.  The 
Ucayga  was  just  passing  the  point  where  we  lay, 
though  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  Coming  from 
the  opposite  direction  was  a  tow-boat,  dragging  slow- 
ly aftef  her  a  fleet  of  canal-boats. 

Waddie  and  I  continued  to  pun  on  the  bear  till 
the  last  glimpses  of  twilight  were  fading  out  behind 
the  hills  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  lake.  Tom  had 
made  up  our  beds  in  the  cabin,  and  we  were  think- 
ing of  playing  a  game  of  chess,  which  I  had  just  be- 
gun to  learn  under  the  pleasant  instruction  of  Grace 
Toppleton.     The  lamp  on  the  foremast  burned  bright- 


54  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

ly,  and  the  little  cabin  looked  very  cosy  and  attrac- 
tive. 

"What's  that?"  exclaimed  Waddie,  suddenly,  as 
a  yell  from  the  fleet  of  canal-boats,  which  had  just 
passed  our  anchorage,  started  us  from  the  quiet  of  our 
situation.  "By  the  great  horn  spoon,  one  of  the 
boats  is  on  fire  ! " 

"  That's  so  ! "  added  Tom,  nervously.  "  What  shall 
we.  do?" 

"  I  don't  know  that  we  can  do  anything,"  I  replied, 
as  my  companions,  by  their  looks,  apj;>eared  to  appeal 
to  me.  "  It  burns  like  tinder.  I  think  she  must  have 
petroleum,  or  something  of  that  kind,  on  board." 

The  fire  blazed  urj  very  suddenly,  and  it  was  j)lain 
to  me  that  she  had  some  combustible  materials  on 
her  deck.  The  hands  on  the  other  boats  made  haste 
to  cast  off  the  fasts  which  connected  the  burning  craft 
to  their  own,  in  order  to  prevent  the  flames  from 
spreading.  At  the  same  time,  the  tow-boat  increased 
her  speed  to  drag  the  other  canal-boats  out  of  the 
way  of  their  dangerous  companion. 

"Get  up  your  anchor,  Tom.  Let  us  go  out  there, 
and  see  what  we  can  do,"  said  I.    "The  thing  ap- 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.  55 

pears  to  be  drifting  this  way,  and  we  may  be  burned 
up  if  we  stay  here." 

"  My  sentiments  exactly,"  replied  Tom,  as  he  sprang 
to  his  cable. 

"  Stand  by  the  jib-halyards,  Waddie,"  I  added,  re- 
moving the  stops  from  the  mainsail.     "  Up  with  it ! " 

We  were  all  thorough  boatmen,  and  in  half  a  min- 
ute we  had  the  Belle  under  way.  As  the  burning 
canal  boat  was  dead  to  windward  of  us,  we  had  to 
stand  away  from  her,  in  order  to  beat  up  to  her  posi- 
tion. As  soon  as  Tom  had  set  the  jib,  he  took  the 
helm,  while  Waddie  and  I  seated  ourselves  to  watch 
the  progress  of  the  flames.  By  this  time  the  steamer, 
having  dragged  the  other  canal-boats  out  of  the  reach 
of  possible  danger,  had  stopped  her  wheels,  and  was 
getting  out  a  boat  to  visit  the  doomed  vessel,  for  such 
she  was  by  this  time,  as  her  deck  was  covered  with 
one  sheet  of  flame. 

"  Help !  Help ! "  shouted  some  one  from  the  boat. 

"By  the  great  horn  spoon,  there  is  some  one  on 
board  of  her ! "  exclaimed  Waddie,  springing  to  his 
feet  under  the  excitement  of  the  moment. 

"  I  do  not  see  any  one,"  added  Tom.     "  Of  course 


56  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

those  who  were  on  board  left  her  before  she  cast  off 
from  the  other  boats.  They  had  only  to  step  from 
one  deck  to  another." 

"Help!  Help!  Save  me!"  again  shouted  the  un- 
seen person. 

"  He  must  be  in  the  cabin,"  I  suggested.  "  The 
wind  drives  the  flame  right  over  the  hatchway,  so 
that  he  cannot  escape." 

"What  shall  we  do?"  demanded  Waddie,  appalled 
by  the  prospect  of  a  human  being  perishing  in  the 
flames  before  our  eyes. 

"  Run  up  to  windward  of  her,  Tom,"  said  I. 

He  obeyed,  and  by  the  time  the  Belle  reached  her 
bow,  I  had  the  cable  ready  to  make  fast  to  her  stern. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.  57 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE    RESCUED    PASSENGER. 


THE  stern  of  the  burning  canal-boat  was  to 
windward,  so  that  the  flames  were  driven  ovei 
the  entrance  to  the  cabin.  I  made-  fast  the  cable 
of  the  Belle  to  the  bow  of  the  burning  craft. 

"Now,  Tom,  take  the  wind  on  your  port  beam, 
and  let  her  drive  as  hard  as  she  will." 

"I  see;  you  want  to  sling  her  round." 

"Yes.  Waddie,  you  and  I  will  help  her  with  the 
oars,  for  it  will  be  a  hard  pull  to  swing  that  heavy 
canal-boat." 

We  took  the^  oars;  and,  when  the  Belle  came 
up  with  a  jerk,  which  nearly  threw  us  overboard, 
—  for  the  wind  was  quite  fresh,  —  we  strained  our 
muscles   at  the   oars. 

"Pull,  Waddie!"  I  cried,  anxiously,  for  I  felt  that 
the  safety  of  the  man  in  the  cabin  of  the  burning 


58  BEAE    AND    EOEBEAE,    OE 

boat  depended  entirely  upon  the  success  of  our 
movement. 

Tom  helped  Waddie  with  one  hand,  while  he 
steered  with  the  other.  Though  the  burning  boat 
was  very  long  and  heavy,  it  did  not  require  much 
power  to  turn  her,  balanced  as  she  was  on  the  water. 
The  sails  of  the  Belle  pulled  strong,  oar  efforts  at 
the  oars  increased  the  force,  and  we  soon  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  that  we  were  accomplishing 
our  purpose.  As  soon  as  the  vessel  began  to  turn, 
her  inertia  being  overcome,  the  work  was  easy,  and 
we  whirled  her  on  her   axis  like  a  top. 

"  Hold  on,  now ! "  I  shouted,  boating  my  oar.  "  She 
will  swing  the  rest  of  the  way  without  any  help. 
Come  about,  Tom,  and  run  up  to  her  bow  before 
the  fire  makes  it  too  warm  there  to  cast  off  the 
cable." 

"Won't  you  bring  my  hatchet  out  of  the  cook- 
room,  Wolf?"  added  Tom. 

I  brought  a  small  hatchet  from  the  cuddy,  which 
Tom  used  in  splitting  up  his  wood. 

The  canal-boat  continued  to  swing  under  the  im- 
petus we  had  given  her.     As  soon  as  she  had  turned 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.  59 

into  a  position  so  that  the  wind  struck  her  broad- 
side, and  carried  the  flames  away  from  the  cabin 
door,  we  saw  a  man  rush  up  the  steps. 

"There  he  is!"  shouted  Waddie.  "Bear  a  hand, 
Tom!     Let  her   drive." 

"  She  is  driving  all  she  will,"  replied  Tom.  "Wolf, 
we  won't  wait  to  untie  that  cable;  just  chop  it  off 
with  the  hatchet  when  I  luff  her  up." 

"  Help !  Help ! "  shouted  the  man  on  the  after-deck 
of  the   canal-boat. 

"We  will  be  there  in  a  minute!"  shouted  Tom. 
"Keep   cool!" 

"It's  rather  a  warm  place  to  keep  cool  in,"  sug- 
gested  Waddie.  , 

"Now,  luff  up,  Tom,  and  we  will  get  clear  of  the 
cable." 

He  put  the  helm  hard  down,  and,  as  the  boat 
came  up  into  the  wind,  the  cable  lay  across  the 
forward  deck  of  the  Belle.  With  one  blow  of  the 
hatchet  I  severed  it,  about  thirty  feet  from  the  bow 
of  the  canal-boat,  so  that  Tom  lost  only  a  small 
portion  of  his  line.  The  man  on  deck  had  seated  him- 
self at  the  extreme  end  of  the  boat,  with  his  legs 


60  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

hanging  over  the  water,  in  readiness  to  leap  into  the 
lake,  if  the  flames  were  again  driven  upon  him. 
But  the  combustible  material  seemed  to  be  amid- 
ships, though  the  wood-work  was  now  well  kindled, 
and  the  great  volume  of  the  flame  was  at  this  part 
of  the  boat.  Tom  ran  the  Belle  around  under  the 
stern  of  the  burning  vessel,  and  I  fastened  the  boat- 
hook  to  it,  as  she  lost  her  headway. 

"Drop  down,"  said  I  to  the  person  above. 

He  first  threw  a  black  leather  travelling-bag  upon 
the  forward  deck,  whose  contents  rattled  as  though  it 
were  filled  with  old  iron.  With  the  assistance  of  Wad- 
die  and  myself,  he  came  down  himself,  and  stepped 
into  the  standing-room.  I  picked  up  his  valise,  as 
Tom  filled  away  again,  in  order  that  it  might  .not  be 
lost  overboard  when  the  Belle  heeled  over  under 
the  pressure  of  the  sails. 

"You  came  out  of  a  warm  place,"  said  Waddie, 
as  the  stranger  seated  himself. 

"Not  very  warm,"  he  replied.  "I  was  in  the 
cabin,  and  there  was  no  fire  down  there." 

"But  there  would  have  been  very  soon." 

"]STo  doubt  of  that.    There  are  two  windows  in 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    IJCAYGA.  61 

the  stern,  but,  as  I  cannot  swim,  I  did  not  like  to 
jump  out  into  the  water,"  continued  the  stranger. 

"You  take  it  very  coolly,"  said  Tom,  with  a  grin. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  was  afraid  of  anything.  I 
supposed  those  other  canal-boats  were  close  by,  and 
as  soon  as  I  saw  or  heard  any  one,  I  meant  to  jump 
into  the  water,  and  let  him   pick  me  up." 

"Was  there  no  one  with  you  on  board?"  asked 
Waddie. 

"  Yes,  a  whole  family ;  but  they  were  on  deck 
when  the  fire  broke  out,  and  had  only  to  step  on 
board  one  of  the  other  boats  by  her  side.  I  have 
been  travelling  a  great  deal  lately,  and  I  was  tired 
and  sleepy;  so  I  lay  down  in  a  bunk,  and  went 
to  sleep.  When  the  fire  broke  out,  the  men  yelled, 
and  that  waked  me  up.  I  sprang  for  the  stairs, 
but  a  sheet  of  flame  lay  right  over  the  cabin  doors, 
and  I  couldn't  go  through.  So  I  shut  the  doors, 
and  went  to  the  windows.  I  yelled  with  all  my 
might,  to  let  the  boatmen  know  where  I  was;  but 
none  of  them  came  near  me.  Then  I  tried  the 
doors  again,  and  found  the  fire  was  blowing  off  in 
another  direction." 


62  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

"That  was  after  we  had  swung  the  canal-boat 
around,"  interposed  Waddie.  ■ 

"I  did  not  know  what  did  it,  but  when  it  was 
safe  to  do  so  I  went   on  deck." 

"How  did  the  boat  catch  afire?"  asked  Tom. 

"  I  don't  know.  There  is  half  a  dozen  barrels  on 
deck,  and  they  smelled  like  petroleum.  Very  likely 
some  smoker  dropped  his  match  into  the  stuff.  I 
heard  something  which  I  took  to  be  the  bursting 
of  one  of  the  barrels;  at  any  rate,  they  made  a 
jolly  fire.  But  now  I  am  out  of  the  scrape,  I  don't 
know  that  I  care." 

"It  won't  be  pleasant  for  the  owner  to  have  his 
property  destroyed,"  suggested  Waddie ;  and  I  think 
none  of  us  were  pleased  with  the  selfish  remark  of 
the   stranger. 

The  person  whom  we  had  rescued  from  the  burning 
boat  was  a  young  man,  not  more  than  twenty-five. 
He  was  very  well  dressed,  and  I  judged  from  his  air 
and  manner  that  he  had  seen  the  world.  He  inter- 
larded his  narrative  with  much  offensive  profanity, 
with  which  I  do  not  care  to  soil  my  pages.  On  the 
whole,  he  did  not  produce  an  agreeable  impression 
upon  any  of  us. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF    LAKE   UCAYGA.  63 

"Have  you  got  that  man  out  of  the  cabin?" 
shouted  a  man  in  the  boat  from  the  steamer. 

"  Yes,  he  is  safe,"  replied  Tom.  "  Why  don't  you 
bring  up  your  steamer,  and  put  the  fire  out  ?  " 

"  No  use ;  we  couldn't  put  it  out  now." 

"  Haven't  you  a  fire  engine  on  your  tow-boat  ? "  I 
asked. 

"No;   it  is  broke  down." 

I  was  inclined  to  agree  with  the  speaker,  who  was 
the  captain  of  the  steamer,  that  it  was  useless  to  at- 
tempt to  extinguish  the  fire,  for  the  canal-boat  was 
now  one  mass  of  flame.  She  was  drifting  rapidly 
towards  the  shore,  and  I  was  afraid  she  would  set  the 
woods  on  fire,  for  the  bushes  hung  over  the  bank,  so 
that  the  flame  would  be  blown  directly  into  them. 

"  Will  you  go  on  board  one  of  those  canal-boats,  sir, 
or  shall  we  put  you  on  shore  ?  "  asked  Tom,  addressing 
our  passenger. 

"I  don't  know.  I  have  had  about  enough  canal- 
boat  for  one  day,"  he  replied,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"  I  will  do  just  as  you  say,"  added  Tom. 

"  Is  there  any  hotel  around  here  ? "  inquired  the 
stranger. 


64  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

"Yes,  a  first-rate  hotel,  not  far  from  the  falls," 
added  our  skipper,  pointing  in  the  direction  of  the 
spot. 

"  Then  I  will  go  there." 

"All  right,"  answered  Tom,  heading  the  Belle 
towards  the   shore. 

"My  name  is  Schleifer,"  continued  the  stranger. 
"I  am  a  drummer  for  a  hardware  house  in  New 
York." 

This  seemed  to  be  a  satisfactory  explanation  to  me 
of  the  nature  of  the  contents  of  his  travelling-bag, 
which  had  rattled  like  old  iron  when  he  threw  it  upon 
the  deck,  and  which  I  found,  when  I  lifted  it,  was  very 
heavy. 

"  I  got  into  Hitaca  too  late  to  take  the  boat  down 
the  lake,  for  I  expect  to  sell  some  goods  at  the  towns 
below.  I  had  taken  all  the  orders  I  could .  get  in 
Hitaca  a  few  days  before ;  so  I  had  nothing  to  do, 
and  wanted  to  get  to  Middleport.  I  didn't  like  the 
idea  of  lying  around  Hitaca  till  the  next  morning; 
so  I  thought  I  would  try  a  canal-boat,  just  for  the 
novelty  of  the  thing." 

"Well,  how  did  you  like  it?"    asked   Waddie. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE   UCAYGA.  65 

"  I  liked  it  well  enough  till  the  fire  interfered  with 
the  tranquillity  of  my  dreams ;  but  I  did  not  even 
get  singed ;   so  I  have  no   reason  to  complain." 

By  this  time  the  Belle  had  reached  the  shore  at 
the  point  off  which  she  had  been  moored  before. 
The  burning  canal-boat  had  grounded  just  above  us, 
on  a  shoal  place.  As  her  combustibles  on  deck  had 
been  consumed,  the  flames  were  not  so  fierce,  and 
did  not  reach  the  shore. 

"I  suppose  I'm  a  lucky  dog,"  said  Schleifer,  as 
Tom  lowered  his  sails,  having  made  fast  to  a  tree 
on  shore.  "My  life  is  not  insured,  and  it  would 
have  been  an  ugly  investment  for  any  oflice  half  an 
hour  ago." 

"Thank  God  for  preserving  your  life,"  I  added. 

"That's  all  very  well;  but  I  thank  my  own  cool- 
ness that  I  wasn't  fool  enough  to  rush  on  deck,  where 
the  fire  would  have  made  an  end  of  me  in  a  min- 
ute and  a  quarter.  Do  you  happen  to  have  any  whis- 
key on  board  of  this  craft?" 

"Not  a  drop,"  replied  Tom,  promptly.  "We 
haven't  any  use  for  the  article,  and  we  don't  keep  it." 

"They  keep  it  at  the  hotel  — don't  they?" 
5 


66  BEAR   AND    F0EBEAE,    OE 

"I  suppose  they  do.  I  never  called  for  any," 
added  Tom. 

"  Are  you  the  skipper  of  this  craft  ? "  .  asked 
Schleifer,  in   a  kind  of  contemptuous  tone. 

"  I  am ;  and  the  craft  is  a  good  deal  better  than 
the  skipper." 

"  That  may  be ;  and,  if  you  don't  take  any  whis- 
key, I  should  say  you  were  half  right,  at  least.  I 
should  think,  with  so  much  cold  water  under  you 
and  all  around  you,  you  would  want  a  little  drop 
of  whiskey,  just  to  help  keep  up  an  equilibrium, 
you  know." 

"I  find  that  people  who  take  whiskey  find  it  .the 
most  difficult  to  keep  up  an   equilibrium." 

"Every  one  to  his  fancy;  but  I  can't  sell  goods 
without  a  little  whiskey.  I  generally  carry  a  pocket 
pistol  in  my  bag;  but  it  got  smashed  against  the 
hardware,  the  other  day,  and  I've  been  dry  ever 
since." 

"That  was  because  you  did  not  keep  up  the 
equilibrium,"  laughed  Tom.  "What  kind  of  hard- 
ware do  you  sell,  Mr.  Schleifer?" 

"  Iron,  of  course." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  67 

"Pickaxes  and  crowbars?" 

"Not  exactly.  I  couldn't  carry  samples  in  my 
bag  very  well.  I  think  I  will  try  to  find  that 
hotel  now.  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you 
were  the  skipper  of  this  boat?" 

"I  have  that  honor;  and  I  wouldn't  swap  it  off 
to  be  governor  of  the  state,"  replied  Tom. 

"Do  you  keep  her  to  let?" 

"That's  what  I  keep  her  for." 

"  She  is  a  good-looking  boat ;  but  I  should  like 
her  better  if  she  carried  a  little  whiskey  on  board," 
said  Schleifer.  "Haven't  you  just  a  thimbleful,  say 
forty  drops,  in  the  medicine  chest?" 

"Not  the  twentieth  part  of  a  drop." 

"How  long  does  it  take  you  to  run  from  here 
down  to  Cent —  down  to  Middleport?"  asked  the 
drummer. 

"That  depends  on  the  wind." 

"Well,  as  the  wind  is  to-night." 

"I  could  fetch  it  in  four  hours.  The  wind  would 
be  fair  after  I  got  by  Priam." 

"Well,  skipper,  seeing  it's  you,  I  will* give  you  a 
five-dollar  bill  if  you  will  land  me  in  Centre —  I 
mean  in  Middleport." 


68  BEAR   AND    FORBEAE,    OR 

"  Well,  seeing  it's  you,  Mr.  Schleifer,  I  won't  do  it." 

"Not  for  five  dollars?" 

"No,  nor  for  ten.  My  boat  is  engaged  to  these 
gentlemen  for  the  rest  of  the  week." 

"We  will  let  you  off,  Tom,"  whispered  Waddie. 

"I  don't  want  to  be  let  off." 

"I  have  an  invitation  from  Captain  Portman  for 
Waddie  and  myself  to  sleep  at  his  house,"   I  added. 

"Is  that  so?  Then  I  will  take  him  down  to 
Centrepoi't  for  ten  dollars." 

" Middleport,"  said  Schleifer.  "I  will  give  you 
five." 

"  No ;  nothing  short  of  ten  for  a  night  run  down 
the  lake.     I  like  >  to  sleep  a  little  once  in  a  while." 

After  some  bickering  the  drummer  agreed  to  give 
ten  dollars  for  his  passage;  but  he  insisted  upon 
going  to  the  hotel  first  for  a  "  drop  of  whiskey."  • 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OP  LAKE  UCATGA.     69 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  ENGLISH  LORD  AND  THE  DRUMMER. 

«  T  COULDN'T    go  to   sleep   to-night  without   a 

JL  drop  of  whiskey,  and  I  must  have  some," 
said  Schleifer.  "  It  won't  take  me  long  to  go  to 
the  hotel." 

"Do  you  know  the  way?"  inquired  Waddie. 

"No;  but  I  can  find  it." 

"We  are  going  up  that  way.  We  will  show  you 
the  road." 

"  I  don't  need  any  help.  I  can  snuff  a  place 
where  they  sell  whiskey  two  miles  off,"  replied  the 
commercial  gentleman,  coarsely. 

He  went  on  shore,  taking  his  bag  with  him,  and 
made  his  way  up  to  the  road  which  led  to  the 
hotel.  Waddie  and  I  walked  up  to  Captain  Port- 
man's  house;  but  he  was  not  at  home,  though  the 
servant  said  he  would  return  soon.     He   had  proba- 


70  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

bly  gone  over  to  the  hotel,  which  he  generally- 
visited  in  the  evening.  We  did  not  care  to  remain 
if  Captain  Port  man  was  not  at  home,  and  we 
walked  towards  the  hotel,  expecting  to  meet  him 
there. 

"  Why  didn't  that  fellow  go  to  Middleport  in  the 
tow-boat,  if  he  wanted  to  go  there?"  said  Waddie, 
who  had  taken  a   strong  dislike  to   Tom's  passenger. 

"  I  suppose  he  was  afraid  of  being  blown  up,  or 
burned  up,"  I  replied. 

"  He  did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  thank  us 
for  saving  him  from  the  flames." 

"Probably  he  does  not  think  we  saved  him  from 
anything  but  a  wet  jacket,"  I  suggested. 

"Even  that  is  worth  acknowledging." 

"These  drummers  live  on  brass,  and  this  fellow  is 
in  the  hardware  line." 

"  Waddie !  Is  that  you  ? "  called  Tom  Walton,  as 
he  rushed  up  to  us  when  we  came  down  the  hill 
from  Captain  Portman's  mansion. 

"Yes,  it  is  I.  What's  the  matter,  Tom?"  asked 
Waddie. 

"A   young  woman   just   came   down  to  the  boat, 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.  71 

and  said  she  wanted  to  see  you  very  bad,"  replied 
Tom,  with  no  little  excitement  in  his  manner. 

"A  young  woman!     Who  is  she?" 

"I  haven't  the  least  idea;  but  she  has  a  nobby 
look,  as  I  made  her  out  in  the  dark.  She  wanted 
you  so  bad  that  I  told  her  I  would  try  and  find 
you." 

"Who  can  it  be?"  said  Waddie. 

"Probably  Miss  Dornwood,"  I  suggested. 

"But  she  would  not  be  out  of  the  hotel  at  this 
hour  in  the  evening." 

"Her  relations  with  her  guardian  were  not  very 
pleasant,  you  know,"  I  added. 

"Well,  we  will  go  down  and  see  her,  at  any 
rate  ;"  and  we  walked  towards  the  moorings  of  the 
Belle. 

"  Waddie,  you  must  be  very  careful,"  said  I,  not 
at  all  pleased  with  the  complications  which  seemed 
to  be  before  us. 

"Careful?     What  do  you  mean,  Wolf?" 

"If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  question  which  we 
attempted  to  dodge  once  before  this  evening  will 
come  up  again." 


72  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  What's  that  ?  " 

"When  Mr.—-    What's  his  name?" 

"Mr.  Overton,"  added  Waddie,  supplying  the 
name   I   had   forgotten. 

"When  Mr.  Overton  attempted  to  compel  Miss 
Dornwood  to  return  to  the  hotel,  you  stepped  be- 
tween him  and  her.  If  the  bear  had  not  made  a 
scene  just  at  that  moment,  there  might  have  been  a 
quarrel  between  you  and  the  guardian." 

"You  are  too  cautious,  Wolf.  I  wouldn't  stand 
by  and  see  him  abuse  the  young  lady.  Why,  Cap- 
tain Portman  said  he  should  interfere,  and  take  the 
responsibility,"  protested  Waddie. 

"I  would  interfere  if  there  were  any  real  abuse, 
Waddie ;  but  I  think  it  is  better  to  wait  for  a 
pretty  strong  provocation  before  you  meddle  with 
family  affairs." 

"I  will  be  as  careful  as  I  can,  Wolf;  but  when  I 
see  a  young  lady  persecuted  by  a  cruel  guardian,  it 
isn't  exactly  my  style  to  take  it  coolly." 

"  We  don't  know  anything  about  the  facts  yet, 
and  you  must  remember  that  there  are  two  sides  to 
every  story." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  73 

"  I  will  try  to  remember  it.  But  I  don't  see  what 
she  wants  with  me." 

"Very  likely  she  has  had  some  trouble  with  her 
guardian,  and  wants  your  assistance." 

"If  I  can  assist  her,  I  shall  certainly  do  so.  I 
think  that  Overton  is  a  brute,  whatever  his  rela- 
tions to  the  lady  may  be." 

By  this  time  we  were  near  the  boat,  and  I  re- 
peated, in  a  low  tone,  my  caution  to  Waddie.  I 
saw  that  he  was  very  much  interested  in  the  young 
lady,  and,  aware  of  his  impetuous  character,  I  was 
afraid  he  would  be  too  forward  in  rendering  assist- 
ance to  her.  Miss  Dornwood  stood  upon  the  shore 
near  the  boat.  As  we  approached  her,  I  saw  that 
she  was  very  much  agitated,  and  I  regarded  this 
as  altogether  in  her  favor. 

"Good  evening,  Miss  Dornwood,"  said  "Waddie. 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  will  think  of  me,"  she 
replied,  in  trembling  tones.  "I  am  very  much 
alarmed." 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Waddie,  in  a  tone 
which  was  calculated  to  assure  her. 

"I  wished  to  see  you  very  much,  for  you  were  so 
kind  to  me  that  I  was   sure  you  would  assist  me." 


74  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  assist  you,  if  it  is  in 
my  power  to  do  so." 

"  You  said  you  had  a  boat.  I  suj>pose  this  is  the 
one." 

"It  is  not  mine,  though  we  came  up  the  lake  to- 
day in  her." 

"Do  you  know  where  the  town  of  Ruoara  is?" 
asked  the  young  lady,  as  she  glanced  around  her 
in   terror. 

"  I  do,  very  well  indeed.  It  is  only  eight  miles 
from  my  home,"  replied  "Wacldie. 

"I  wish  to  go  there  very  much,"  continued  she, 
earnestly. 

"To-night?" 

"Yes,  to-night  —  immediately." 

"That's  very  unfortunate,  for  the  skipper  has  to 
take  a  gentleman  to  Middleport,"  replied  Waddle. 

"O,  dear!  What  shall  I  do?"  exclaimed  the 
young  lady.     "I  must  go   at   once." 

"Perhaps  you  can  go  in  the  boat  with  the  gen- 
tleman as  far  as  Middleport,  and  — " 

"Who  is  the  gentleman?"  interposed  she,  anx- 
iously. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAE1E    TJCAYGA.  75 


"I  don't  know  him.     He  is  a  commercial  agent." 


"I  cannot  go  with  a  stranger,"  said  she,  shaking 
her  head  in  a  very  positive  manner. 

"Am  I  not  a  stranger?" 

"No;  I  learned,  after  we  parted  this  afternoon, 
that  you  were  the  son  of  a  very  influential  gentle- 
man, and  you  were  kind  enough  to  step  between 
me  and  my  guardian,  when  he  intended  to  lay  his 
hands  upon  me." 

"Who  told  you  this?" 

"The  landlord.  He  said  your  friend  was  Captain 
Penniman ;  and  I  was  sure,  after  the  service  you 
had  rendered  me,  that  you  would  again  be  my 
friend,   and  help   me  to   get.  to   Ruoara." 

"  Won't  you  sit  down  in  the  boat  ? "  added 
Waddie,  stepping  on   board   of  the   Belle. 

"No,  I  thank  you.  I  do  not  wish  to  meet  any 
strangers,"  replied  Miss  Dornwood.  "  I  know  you 
think  I  am  very  bold;  but  I  should  not  have  come 
to  you  if  I  had  not  known  who  you  were." 

"If  you  will  not  go  with  the  gentleman,  I  do  not 
see  what  I  can  do  for  you.  There  is  no  other  sail- 
boat here." 


76  BEAR   AND   F0EBEAE,   OR 

"  I  suppose  I  must  return  to  my  prison,"  said  she, 
bursting  into  tears. 

"  Do  not  weep,"  interposed  Waddie,  moved  by  her 
grief. 

"Mr.  Wimpleton,  I  envy  the  poor  man's  daughter 
who  is  surrounded  by  good  and  true  friends,"  sobbed 
she.     "  I  will  go  back  to  my  prison." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  your  prison  ? "  inquired 
Waddie. 

"My  guardian  sent  me  to  my  room,  and  then 
locked  me  in  it.  I  cannot  endure  such  indignities. 
I  am  going  to  leave  him.  I  am  going  to  work  for 
my  daily  bread  in  a  factory,  in  a  shop  —  anywhere 
that  I  can  earn  enough  to  support  me." 

"Is  your  situation  so  desperate  as  this?" 

"  It  is,  indeed !  If  I  had  no  spirit  at  all,  perhaps 
I  could  endure  it." 

"  There  comes  some  one,"  interposed  Tom  Wal- 
ton, who  had  walked  up  to  the  road,  as  soon  as 
he  understood  the  case,  in  order  to  warn  us  of  the 
approach  of  his  passenger. 

Without  another  word,  Miss  Dornwood  fled  like 
a  frightened  fawn  in  the  direction   opposite  that  in 


THE    TOTJNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    TJCAYGA.  77 

which  Schleifer  was  approaching.  Wad  die,  deeply- 
interested  in  her  case,  followed  her,  intent  upon  as- 
sisting her  to  the  extent  of  his  ability. 

"  There  is  some  one  with  him,"  said  Tom,  as  I 
joined  him,  half  way  between  the  lake  and  the 
road. 

"Perhaps  you  are  to  have  two  passengers,"  I 
suggested. 

The  drummer  and  the  person  who  was  with  him 
halted  in  the  road,  and  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  a 
very  earnest  conversation.  We  could  not  hear  a 
word  they  said,  but  it  was  evident  that  they  had 
not  met  for  the  first  time,  and  that  they  were  not 
talking  about  the  sale  of  hardware.  It  was  too 
dark  to  see  any  more  than  the  form  of  Schleifer's 
friend. 

"You  wait  here,"  said  he,  after  the  conversation 
had  continued  a  few  moments. 

"  Hurry  up,"  replied  the  other  person,  whose  voice 
seemed  to  be  familiar  to  me,  though  I  could  not 
identify   it. 

As  the  drummer  approached,  we  retreated  towards 
the  boat. 


78  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

"  Hallo,  there,  skipper  !  "    shouted  he. 

"  Are  you  ready  ? "  asked  Tom,  as  we  stojjped, 
and  waited  till  he  came  up. 

"  If  it's  all  the  same  to  you,  I  won't  go  down  the 
lake  to-night.  I  met  a  friend  of  mine  at  the  hotel, 
and  I  want  to  stay  with  him  till  to-morrow." 

"  All  right,"  answered  Tom. 

"  A  trade's  a  trade.  I  agreed  to  give  you  ten 
dollars  for  the  trip.  If  you  will  call  it  five,  and  not 
go,  I  shall  be  satisfied,"  added  Schleifer. 

"I  don't  want  any  five,  if  you  don't  go,"  replied 
Tom.     "I  only  want  what  I  earn." 

"But  I  am  willing  to  compromise." 

"I  don't  compromise.  We  will  call  it  square  as 
it  is.    If  you  are  satisfied,  I  am." 

"Well,  I  shall  want  your  boat  another  time,  and 
I'll  make  it  right  with  you  then,"  added  the  drum- 
mer, as  he  turned  to  leave. 

"It's  all  right  now." 

"That's  lucky  for  Waddie,"  I  suggested. 

"It  works  first  rate.  Now,  if  Waddie  wants  to 
take  the  lady  to  Ruoara,  the  boat  is  all  ready." 

"But  where  is  he?" 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TTCAYGA.  79 

"They  haven't  got  a  great  way  yet." 

"Probably  she  will  go  towards  the  hotel.  You 
follow  them,  Tom,  and  I  will  go  up  this  way,"  I 
replied,  moving  in  the  direction  which  Schleifer  had 
taken. 

I  soon  discovered  the  drummer  and  his  friend 
walking  rapidly  towards  the  hotel.  I  was  a  little 
curious  to  know  who  the  person  was  whose  voice 
had  sounded  so  familiar  to  me,  and  I  quickened  my 
pace,  hoping  the  lights  in  front  of  the  hotel  would 
enable  me  to  obtain  a  clear  view  of  him.  I  fol- 
lowed them  closely;  but  before  reaching  the  hotel 
they  turned  in  at  a  road  which  led  to  the  stable  in 
the  rear.  Before  I  could  come  up  with  them,  they 
had  seated  themselves  in  a  light  wagon,  which  must 
have  been  ordered  before,  and  drove  off. 

"  Who  are  those  gentlemen  ?  "  I  asked  of  the  sta- 
ble-keeper, who  stood  in  the  yard  with  a  lantern  in 
his  hand. 

"One  of  them  I  never  saw  till  now:  the  other 
is  stopping  at  the  hotel,  and  is  a  big  gun,"  he 
replied. 

"I  know  the  taller  one.     Who  is  the  other?" 


80  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"He's  the  big  gun.  He  came  this  morning;  but 
no  one  found  out  what  he  was  till  after  dinner." 

"What  is  he?" 

"He's  the  big  gun.  He's  an  English  lord.  I  for- 
get what  they  call  him." 

"Lord  Palsgrave,"  I  suggested. 

"That's  the  name.  He's  a  nobby  fellow,  and 
spreads  his  dollars  with  a  looseness." 

"  Where  is  he  going  now  ?  " 

"To  Priam,  I  reckon.  He  said  he  should  not  be 
back  till  to-morrow  morning;  and  there  is  to  be  a 
big  dance  there  to-night.  But  I  wonder  he  didn't 
take  the  young  lady  with  him,  who  came  with  his 
party." 

I  walked  round  the  hotel,  in*  order  to  intercept 
Waddie  and  Miss  Dornwood ;  but  I  saw  nothing  of 
them,  and  I  concluded  that  Tom  had  already  over- 
taken them.  After  the  information  I  had  obtained 
from  the  stable-keeper,  my  idea  of  an  English  lord 
was  considerably  modified.  He  was  on  good  terms 
with  a  hardware  drummer,  which  did  not  seem  to 
be  exactly  consistent  with  his  exalted  position.     But 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     81 

it  was  possible  that  the  drummer  was  a  baron  or  a 
marquis  in  disguise,  though  the  clatter  of  his  hard- 
ware samples  did  not  tend  to  prove  it. 

I  continued  my  walk  towards  the  lake,  and  pres- 
ently met  Waddie  and  Miss  Dornwood. 
6 


BEAK  AND   E0EBEAE,   OR 


CHAPTER    VII. 


AS  soon  as  I  saw  and  recognized  Waddie  and 
Miss  Dornwood,  they  turned  out  of  the  road 
with  the  evident  intention  of  avoiding  me. 

"Waddie!"  I  called  to  him. 

Hearing  my  voice,  they  returned  to  the  road,  as-" 
sured  that  I  was  not  the  brutal  guardian  whom 
the  young  lady  had  so  much  reason  to  shun. 

"  Haven't  ^you  seen  Tom  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No." 

"  He  is  looking  for  you." 

"We  heard  some  one  behind  us,  and  turned  aside 
till  he  had  passed,"  added  Waddie.  "  What  does  he 
want?" 

"The  drummer  has  concluded  not  to  go  to  Mid- 
dleport  to-night." 

"And  can  you  have  the  boat?"  inquired  Miss 
Dornwood,  eagerly. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER  OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  83 

"  The  boat  is  certainly  available,"  I  replied.  "  But 
do  you  really  wish  to  make  a  trip  of  thirty  miles 
on  the  lake  in  the  night?" 

"I  am  afraid  of  nothing  but  the  tyranny  of  my 
guardian,"  she  responded,  promptly. 

"Where  is  Tom?"  inquired  Waddie.  "We  will 
lose  no  time." 

"I  will  find  him.  If  he  passed  you,  he  must  be 
near  the  hotel." 

They  walked  towards  the  boat,  and  I  returned  to 
the  hotel,  where  I  found  Tom,  and  we  soon  joined 
Waddie  on  board  of  the  Belle.  We  were  all  ready 
to  start;  but  I  confess  I  was  very  much  troubled 
about  the  circumstances  of  the  voyage.  The  main- 
sail was  flapping  in  the  fresh  breeze ;  but  I  was 
somewhat  afraid  that  Waddie  was  getting  himself, 
and  perhaps  me,  into  a  scrape. 

"Are  you  going,  Waddie?"  I  asked,  in  introdu- 
cing what  I  wished  to  say. 

"Certainly  I  am." 

"I  hope  you  will  go  with  me.  I  should  not  feel 
safe  without  you,"  added  Miss  Dornwood. 

"Won't  you  go  too,  Wolf?"  asked  Waddie. 


84  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"I  should  be  glad  to  have  you,"  continued  the 
young  lady. 

"I  am  not  perfectly  clear  in  regard  to  this  mat- 
ter," I  suggested. 

"Pray  do  not  stay  here  any  longer,"  interposed 
Miss  Dornwood.  "If  my  guardian  should  discover 
my  absence,  I'm  afraid  he  would  come  down  here 
to  look  for  me.  Please  to  go  out  upon  the  lake,  and 
I  will  tell  you  all  my  story.  Then,  if  you  will  not 
assist  me,  we  can  return." 

"Shove  off,  Tom,"  I  replied. 

The  skipper  ran  up  the  jib,  and  the  Belle,  gath- 
ering headway,  stood  out  into  the  lake. 

"I  think  you  are  very  cautious,  Captain  Penni- 
man,"  said  Miss  Dornwood. 

"I  am  sure  my  friend  here  does  not  wish  to  do 
anything  wrong,"  I  added. 

"I  will  bear  all  the  blame,"  said  Waddie,  warmly. 
"I  think  I  can  find  friends  for  Miss  Dornwood  with- 
out going  so  far  as  Ruoara." 

"  Where  ?  "  I  asked,  curiously. 

"At  my  father's  house." 

"I  shall  not  be  obliged  to  trespass  upon  the  kind- 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP  LAKE   UCAYGA.  85 

ness  of  your  father's  family,  Mr.  Wimpleton,"  added 
Miss  Dornwood.  "My  friends  in  Ruoara  will  not 
hesitate  to  receive  me  into  their  house,  though  they 
know   all  the  circumstances  of  my  situation." 

"Who  are  they?"  I  asked. 

"Mr.  Pinkerton  and  his  family.  Do  you  know 
them?" 

"  Very  well  indeed.  Ben  Pinkerton's  father,"  added 
Waddie. 

The  Pinkertons  were  of  the  highest  social  stand- 
ing in  Ruoara,  and  I  was  almost  willing  to  believe 
that  there  could  be  no  harm  in  conveying  the  young 
lady  to  such  friends  as  they  were. 

"  Emily  Pinkerton  was  my  schoolmate  at  the  acad- 
emy, and  before  my  father  died,  our  two  families 
became  quite  intimate,"  continued  Miss  Dornwood. 
"Emily  was  at  my  guardian's  house  last  spring  with 
her  father  and  mother,  and  they  know  all  about 
the  circumstances." 

"Do  they  think  it  is  proper  for  you  to  leave  your 
guardian  ?  " 

"Mr.  Pinkerton  told  me  himself  to  come  to  his 
house   whenever  I   could  not   endure   my  guardian 


86  BEAR   AND   F0EBEAE,   OB 

any  longer.  I  should  have  gone  there  before  if  I 
could  have  got  away." 

"Are  your  father  and  mother  both  dead?  ""I  in- 
quired. 

"Both  of  them.  I  am  going  to  tell  you  the 
whole  history  of  our  family.  I  am  seventeen  now, 
and  Mr.  Pinkerton  says  I  am  old  enough  to  think 
for  myself.     I  believe  I  am." 

"  I  should   say  you  were,"  I  rej)lied. 

"  My  mother  was  married  twice,"  Miss  Dornwood 
began.  "  Her  first  husband's  name  was  Richard  Over- 
ton, and  they  had  one  son,  Charles  Overton,  who 
is  now  my  guardian.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
only  four  years  old.  Two  years  after  his  death,  my 
mother  was  married  again,  to  Edward  Dornwood, 
my  father.  He  was  a  wealthy  man ;  but  he  was  de- 
formed, and  in  very  poor  health.  I  wish  I  could 
tell  you  how  much  I  loved  him,  and  how  devoted 
he  was  to  me.  Even  the  great  hump  upon  his  back 
was  not  a  deformity  in  my  eyes.  But,  feeble  as  he 
was,  my  mother  was  the  first  to  pass  away,  and 
died  when  I  was  only  eight.  I  hardly  remember  her. 
I  have  no  doubt  she  loved  me  as  a  mother  should 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.    '87 

love  a  child;  but  I  know  she  used  to  scold  me  very 
severely,  and  I  recollect  this  more  clearly  than  any- 
thing else. 

"My  father  never  spoke  an  unkind  word  to  me. 
When  I  did  wrong,  when  I  fretted,  he  looked  so 
sad,  —  sometimes  actually  shedding  tears,  —  that  it 
became  a  positive  terror  to  me  to  displease  him. 
When  he  became  so  feeble  that  he  could  not  leave 
the  house,  I  spent  all  my  time  out  of  school  with 
him.  His  eyes  failed  so  that  he  could  not  see  well, 
and,  for  hours  together,  I  used  to  read  books  to 
him  which  had  not  the  least  interest  to  me.  I  can 
truly  say,  that  I  was  never  so  happy  as  when  with 
him." 

"Where  was  this  Charles  Overton  all  this  time?" 
I  asked,  as  she  paused  to  wipe  away  her  tears. 

"  He  lived  near  us,  and  professed  a  very  deep  in- 
terest in  my  poor  dear  father,  and  in  me  too,  for 
that  matter.  His  father  had  died  a  poor  man,  and 
he  was  a  clerk  in  a  store.  He  used  to  come  in 
every  day,  and  express  so  much  solicitude  for  my 
father  and  his  affairs,  that  we  were  all  deceived  in 
him.    We   thought  he  was  a  good  man,  but  really 


88  BEAK   AND   FORBEAK,   OR 

all  he  cared  for  was  my  father's  money.  By  de- 
grees he  won  his  confidence;  and,  though  he  had 
never  treated  me  as  a  sister  when  we  were  children 
together,  I  was  very  grateful  to  him  for  the  care  he- 
bestowed  upon  his  step-father. 

"  When  I  was  about  fourteen  years  old,  my  father 
began  to  fail  in  health  very  rapidly,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent to  himself,  as  it  was  to  the  rest  of  us,  that  he 
could  not  last  many  months  longer.  With  a  calm- 
ness which  seemed  to  be  awful  to  me,  he  spoke  of 
leaving  the  earth  to  join  the  angels  in  heaven.  I 
wept  bitterly  at  the  thought  of  parting  with  him; 
but  he  suffered  so  terribly  that  I  finally  became 
reconciled  to  his  going,  for  I  realized  that  my  loss, 
even  in  a  worldly  sense,  would  be  his  gain.  Then 
he  told  me  about  his  property,  and  asked  me  if  I 
should  like  to  have  Charles  for  my  guardian. 

"  I  was  fifteen  years  old,  but  I  knew  little  or 
nothing  about  business.  I  was  entirely  satisfied  to 
have  Charles  as  my  guardian,  though  I  hardly  com- 
prehended what  his  relations  with  me  in  that  capa- 
city were  to  be.  The  next  day  came  the  lawyers, 
and  my  father  made  some  changes  in  his  will,  which 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OP  LAKE  UCAYGA.     89 

had  been  written  years  before.  In  a  word,  he 
named  Charles  Overton  as  my  guardian,  and  made 
him  the  executor  of  his  will.  I  am  sure  he  charged 
him  to  be  very  kind  to  me,  and  to  take  good  care 
of  my  fortune.  But  my  father  lived  nearly  a  year 
after  he  had  settled  up  his  worldly  affairs,  during 
which  Charles  was  as  devoted  to  him  and  me  as  the 
most  loving  son  and  brother  could  be.  He  came  to 
our  house  to  live,  in  order  that  he  might  better 
attend  to  the  wants  of  the  invalid,  and  resigned  his 
situation  in  the  store  so  that  he  could  devote  all 
his  time  to  this  duty. 

"I  will  not  try  to  tell  you  the  sad  story  of 
my  father's  death.  He  passed  away,  and  ceased  to 
suffer.  We  laid  him  in  the  silent  tomb,  and  life 
was  not  to  me  what  it  had  been  before.  I  had  lost 
my  greatest  earthly  comfort,  and,  young  as  I  was, 
I  looked  forward  with  joy  and  hope  to  the  timo 
when  I  should  join  my  father  in  heaven.  But  thi:\ 
sadness  wore  away,  though  I  have  not  ceased,  and 
never  shall  cease,  to  think  of  my  father  as  an  angel, 
even  when  he  was  upon  the  earth.  Charles  Over- 
ton took  charge  of  everything,  and  came  into  ac- 


90  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

tual  possession  of  the  house  in  which  I  had  lived 
all  my  life.  It  was  more  than  six  months  after  my 
father's  death  when  he  spoke  to  me  about  business. 
Then  he  showed  me  my  father's  will,  and  read 
it  to  me.  He  described  the  legal  forms  through 
which  he  had  passed,  but  I  could  not  .understand 
them. 

"My  father  gave  him  twenty  thousand  dollars  in 
his  will,  and  a  fixed  salary  for  doing  the  business  of 
his  estate  until  I  was  of  age.  After  giving  many 
legacies  to  charitable  objects,  the  residue  of  his  for- 
tune was  given  to  me.  I  was  told  that  I  was  the 
heiress  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  But  there 
was  one  very  singular  clause  in  the  will,  to  the 
effect  that,  if  I  married  without  the  consent  of 
Charles  Overton,  I  was  to  receive  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  the  residue  of  the  fortune  was  to  go 
to  my  half  brother.  I  was  astonished  and  shocked 
at  this  part  of  the  will.  I  asked  Charles  to  let  me 
see  it.  Certainly  it  was  all  written  down  as  he  had 
read  it ;  but  it  seemed  incredible  to  me  that  my 
doting  father  had  intended  to  subject  me  to  such  a 
condition. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER  OP   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  91 

"About  this  time  Charles  Overton  began  to  exer- 
cise his  authority  over  me.  He  resorted  to  every 
expedient  in  his  power  to  annoy  me,  and  make  me 
miserable.  He  succeeded,  too,  in  making  me  as  un- 
happy as  I  could  wish  any  human  being  to  be,  if 
he  were  my  worst  enemy.  I  could  not  divine  his 
object ;  but,  between  him  and  his  wife,  I  had  hardly 
a  day  of  peace  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other.  I 
was  not  permitted  to  go  into  company,  nor  to  visit 
those  who  had  been  my  friends  and  companions 
during  the  latter  years  of  my  father's  life.  I  was 
not  allowed  even  to  take  a  walk  without  some  one 
to  attend  me,  and  see  that  I  made  no  new  acquaint- 
ances, nor  met  any  old  ones.  I  may  say  with  truth 
that  I  have  been  a  slave  now  for  nearly  two  years. 

"I  remonstrated  and  protested  against  this  treat- 
ment; but  Charles  explained  that  he  was  only  car- 
rying out  the  wishes  of  my  father  that  he  should 
watch  over  me  with  the  utmost  care.  It  was  only 
when  I  believed  I  comprehended  his  motives,  that 
I  ventured  actually  to  resist  him.  I  refused  to  obey 
him,  and  went  out  when  I  could  find  an  oppor- 
tunity.   I  was  fully  persuaded  that  he  intended  to 


92  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

break  me  down  and  wear  me  out,  so  that  he  could 
get  my  fortune." 

"But  why  is  he  so  particular  that  you  should 
make  no  acquaintances  ?  "  asked  Waddie.  "  If  you 
should  be  married  without  his  consent,  he  will  get 
most  of  your  fortune." 

"Mr.  Pinkerton  told  me  that  clause  would  not 
stand  the  test  of  the  law.  But  I  do  not  think  of 
being  married  either  with  or  without  my  half  broth- 
er's consent,"  added  Miss  Dornwood,  with  much 
embarrassment. 

She  paused  a  few  moments,  and  looked  over  the 
side  of  the  boat  into  the  water.  I  realized  that  it 
was  a  great  trial  to  her  to  feel  ohliged  to  tell  this 
long  and  painful  narrative. 

"  I  have  not  told  you  the  worst  yet,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  I  was  satisfied  that  Charles  Overton  wanted 
my  money ;  that  he  was  plotting  day  and  night  to 
obtain  it.  Doubtless  what  he  termed  my  obstinacy 
worried  him.  He  is  a  man  of  no  principle  what- 
ever, and  I  am  sure  he  is  equal  to  any  crime  he 
has  the  courage  to  perpetrate.  About  three  weeks 
ago,  while  we  were  at  Cape  May,  we  met  Lord  Pals- 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   T7CAYGA.  93 

grave.  While  we  were  bathing  in  the  surf  one  day, 
a  wave  lifted  me  off  my  feet,  and  carried  me  out 
of  my  depth.  I  could  swim,  and  was  not  at  all 
alarmed ;  but  his  lordship  swam  out  to  me,  and,  in 
spite  of  my  protest,  insisted  upon  saving  me  from  a 
watery  grave.  I  thanked  him  for  his  good  inten- 
tions, though  I  did  not  need  his  services;  and  from 
that  time  to  this  he  has  clung  to  me.  I  must  tell 
the  whole  truth :  he  proposed  to  me,  and  I  promptly 
rejected  him,  for  I  did  not  like  him.  My  intimacy 
with  him  assured  me  there  was  not  much  difference 
between  a  lord  and  a  boor.  My  guardian  did  like 
him,  if  I  did  not,  and  declared  that  his  lordship  was 
the  only  man  who  could  marry  me  with  his  consent. 
I  was  persecuted  on  this  subject  till  I  was  disgusted 
with  it." 

And  then  the  poor  girl  burst  into  tears  again. 


94  BEAR  AND  FORBEAR,  OR 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE    STRANGE    BOAT. 


ISS  DORISTWOOD  was  evidently  contrasting 
her  present  situation  with  the  happiness  which 
had  been  her  portion  during  the  lifetime  of  her  fa- 
ther. It  was  not  strange  that  she  wept,  as  she  com- 
pared the  tenderness  of  her  devoted  parent  with  the 
harshness  and  brutality  of  Charles  Overton.  I  had 
seen  enough  of  him  to  convince  me  that  she  had 
not  exaggerated  the  truth,  and  I  was  so  moved  by 
her  story  that  I  was  ready  to  do  as  much  as 
Waddie  to  assist  her.  There  was  nothing  said, 
therefore,  about  returning  to  the  hotel,  •  and  the 
Belle   dashed   on   her   course   over  the   waves. 

Tom  Walton  sat  at  the  helm,  drinking  in  every 
detail  of  the  young  lady's  story,  but  still,  from  the 
force  of  habit,  working  the  boat  with  the  nicest  skill. 
He  made  long  tacks,  and   had  run  nearly  over  to 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     95 

Port  Gunga,  so  that  from  this  point  he  could  lay  a 
course  directly  through  the  Narrows,  about  fifteen 
miles  distant,  without  cramping  her. 

"Do  you  think  his  lordship  is  really  a  lord?"  I 
asked,  when  Miss  Dornwood  had  become  quiet,  and 
we  ceased  to  hear  her  sobs. 

"  I  suppose  he  is.  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  it," 
she  replied.  "He  showed  me  a  letter  from  his  fa- 
ther the  other  day." 

"Who  is  his  father?" 

"The  letter  was  signed  'Dumford.'  He  exj)lained 
that  his  father  was  Earl  of  Dumford,  and  taking 
his  father's  second  title,  he  was  called  Lord  Pals- 
grave. I  know  nothing  about  these  things,  and 
really  feel  no  interest  in  them.  He  talks  about  the 
nobility  of  England  with  a  familiarity  which  indi- 
cates a  thorough  acquaintance,  and,  as  I  know  noth- 
ing about  the  matter,  he  might  do  so  with  entire 
impunity.  He  clings  to  me  all  the  time.  I  cannot 
go  out  of  the  house  that  he  does  not  follow  me. 
He  has  not  left  me  for  so  long  a  time  since  we  first 
met  as  he  did  to-day,  when  I  encountered  the  bear. 
Indeed,  I  have  not  seen  him  since ;  but,  then,  I 
was   shut  up   in   my  room." 


96  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"  How  did  you  get  out  of  your  prison  ? "  inquired 
Waddie. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  I  went  out  of  the  win- 
dow upon  the  roof  of  the  piazza,  and  entered  one 
of  the  entries  by  another  window.  Passing  down 
the  back  stairs,  I  came  to  the  grove,  and  made  my 
Way  to  the  place  where  I  had  seen  your  boat. 
Now,  all  I  ask  of  you  is,  to  convey  me  to  Mr. 
Pinkerton's  house.  I  will  give  you  no  further 
trouble." 

"Indeed,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  serve  you  to 
any  extent  you  may  require,"  said  Waddie. 

"  Thank  you ;  but  I  shall  not  have  to  trouble  you 
any  further,  and  I  will  pay  the  boatman  for  what 
he  has  done." 

"  Not  a  penny  for  me,  miss.  I  should  blush  if  I 
could  take  any  money  for  a  job  of  this  kind,"  pro- 
tested Tom. 

"I  really  cannot  see  what  motive  your  guardian 
has  for  compelling  you  to  marry  this  lord,"  I  added, 
changing  the  toj^ic.  "He  will  consent  to  this,  and 
his  consent  prevents  him  from  reaping  any  benefit 
under  your  father's  will." 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    TJCAYGA.  97 

"  I  do  not  understand  it  myself,"  replied  Miss 
Dornwood. 

"  It  would  be  his  policy  to  withhold  his  consent, 
whoever  the  person  may  be." 

"  So  it  seems  to  me ;  but  I  hope  I  never  shall 
see  Lord  Palsgrave  again.  Charles  knows  that  I 
dislike  him,  and  this  may  be  the  reason  why  he 
persecutes  me." 

"Miss  Dornwood,  I  don't  believe  this  Palsgrave 
is  a  lord  any  more  than  I  am,"  I  ventured  to 
remark. 

"  Why,  what  makes  you  think  he  is  not  ? "  she 
asked,  astonished  at  my  violent  conclusion. 

"  "  I  saw  him  get  into  a  buggy  and  drive  off  with 
the  drummer  that  we  took  out  of  the  burning  canal- 
boat." 

"Is  that  so?"  inquired  Waddie. 

"His  voice  sounded  a  little  familiar  to  me,  as  I 
heard  him  speak  to  the  hardware  man." 

"Are  you  sure  it  was  he?"  said  Waddie. 

"  I  did   not   know   who  it   was  then ;  but  when  I 
saw   them    drive    off  together,  I    asked    the    stable- 
keeper    who    he    was.     He   assured    me   it   was  the 
7 


98  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

English  lord.  I  don't  think  the  nobility  of  England, 
as  a  general  rule,  run  with  hardware  drummers." 

"Did  the  drummer  really  go  away  with  his  lord- 
ship ?  "  added  Waddie,  rubbing  his  hands,  as  though 
he  were  delighted  with  the  fact;  and  I  think  by 
this  time  he  had  some  idea  himself  of  defeating 
the    matrimonial   project    of  Lord   Palsgrave. 

"I   could  not  have  been  mistaken." 

"A  man  is  known  by  the  company  he  keeps,  and 
if  that  Schleifer  isn't  a  scoundrel,  I  will  never  ask 
the  privilege  of  guessing  again.  But  you  must  be 
tired  by  this  time,  Miss  Dornwood." 

"  I  am,  indeed,  very  tired.  I  am  not  strong,  and 
the  excitement  of  this  day  has  fatigued  me  very 
much,"  she  replied. 

"There  is  a  nice  little  cabin  forward,  and  you 
shall  have  it  all  to  yourself.  It  is  now  only  ten 
o'clock,  and  we  shall  not  reach  Ruoara  before  one 
or  two.  You  can  go  to  sleep  just  the  same  as 
though  you  were  on  shore." 

"I  could  not  go  to  sleep,  even  if  I  were  at 
home." 

"Well,  you  can  lie  down  and  rest  yourself,"  per- 
sisted Waddie. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  99 

After  much  persuasion  she  consented  to'  occupy 
the  cabin,  and,  as  she  entered,  Waddie  closed  the 
doors,  for  there  was  sufficient  ventilation  through 
the  blinds  in  them.  As  the  Belle  flew  on  her 
course,  dashing  the  spray  smartly  over  '  her  bow, 
we  sat  by  the  side  of  the  skipper  discussing  Lord 
Palsgrave.  Certain  I  was  that  his  voice  had  sounded 
familiar  to  me;  but  I  labored  in  vain  to  fasten  it 
upon  any  person  I  could  recall  to  mind. 

We  heard  nothing  of  our  lady  passenger,  and 
we  concluded  she  had  gone  to  sleep.  Tom  began 
to  gape  fearfully,  and  I  felt  very  sleepy  myself, 
while  Waddie  was  as  wide  awake  as  ever.  At  the 
suggestion  of  the  latter,  Tom  and  I  wrapped  our- 
selves up  in  our  overcoats,  and  stretching  ourselves 
upon  the  seats,  went  to  sleep,  leaving  him  at  the 
helm.  It  was  not  necessary  that  all  of  us  should 
keep  awake,  and  Waddie  agreed  to  call  one  of  us 
to  take  his  place  in  a  couple  of  hours.  I  do  not 
think  my  position  was  a  very  comfortable  one,  for 
I  dreamed  that  an  enormous  black  bear  had  squatted 
down  upon  my  stomach,  and  insisted  upon  shaking 
hands  with   me.     But  my  hands  seemed   to  be   tied 


100  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

behind  'me,  so  that  I  could  not  comply  with  his 
bearship's  civil  demand ;  and  the  next  best  thing  I 
sould  do  was  to  struggle  .to  free  myself  from  the 
weight  that  rested  upon  me,  and  made  me  feel  very 
uncomfortable.  I  continued  to  labor  in  this  manner, 
when,  instead  of  throwing  off  the  bear,  I  smashed 
the  boat  beneath  me,  with  a  loud  crash.  I  waked 
under  this  shock,  and  started  to  my  feet  to  escape 
drowning  in  the  lake. 

"Boat  ahoy!"  shouted.  Waddie,  as  I  stood  up. 

Then  I  realized  that  the  Belle  had  actually 
struck  something,  the  shock  of  which  had  become 
part  of  my  vision. 

"What's  the  matter,  Waddie?"  asked  Tom  Wal- 
ton, who  had  been  aroused  by  the  crash. 

"I  ran  into  a  boat .  just  now,"  replied  Waddie, 
straining  his  eyes  to  penetrate  the  gloom  which  sur- 
rounded us. 

«  Where  is  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"I  don't  know.  I  can't  see  it,  but  I  hear  the 
stroke  of  oars." 

"What  boat  was  it?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  only  got  a  glimpse  of  her,  as 
she  slid  off  to  leeward  of  us." 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF7  LAKE    UCAYGA.  101 

"Where  are  we?" 

"Right  in  the  Narrows.  Finding  I  was  running 
too  close  to  the  Middleport  side,  I  let  out  the  sheet 
and  kept  her  away.  In  an  instant  I  struck  the  boat. 
There  were  two  men  in  it,  and  that  is  all  I  know 
about  it.  Hold  on ! "  exclaimed  he.  "  Take  the 
helm,  Tom,  and  I'll  light  up  the  lake." 

Waddie  had  brought  with  him  some  bengola 
lights,  with  which  he  purposed  to  try  an  experiment 
in  fishing.  Taking  one  of  these,  he  placed  it  on 
the  well-trap  to  keep  it  from  burning  the  deck,  and 
set  it  on  fire.  The  bengola  blazed  with  a  brilliant 
light,  and  the  lake  was  illuminated  from  one  side 
to  the  other,  for  in  the  Narrows  it  was  only  a  mile 
wide. 

"There  it  is!"  shouted  Tom,  pointing  to  a  small 
row-boat,  in  which  were  two  persons,  pulling  with 
all  their  might  towards,  the  Centreport  shore. 

"Keep  her  away,  Tom,"  said  I,  earnestly.  "I 
want  to   see  who  they  are." 

Tom  let  out  the  sheet,  and  put  the  helm  up ; 
but  the  boat  disappeared  behind  the  steamboat  wharf 
before  we  could  get  near  enough  to  see  the  faces 
of  the  two  men. 


102  BEAR   AND    FOEBEAE,    OE 

"No  use;  they  are  ashore  by  this  time,"  said 
Waddie. 

"I  don't  see  what  anybody  should  be  crossing 
the  lake  for  at  this  time  of  night,"  I  added.  "It 
is  half  past  twelve." 

"There  is  something  mysterious  about  that  boat," 
said  Waddie,  shaking  his  head.  "  The  men  were  not 
pulling  when  we  struck  the  boat ;  if  they  had  been  I 
should  have  heard  them,  and  not  run  into  her.  When 
they  saw  or  heard  the  Belle,  they  must  have  stopped 
pulling.     They  didn't  speak,  or  make  any  sound." 

"  Of  course  they  must  have  had  a  purpose  in  act- 
ing so,"  I  added,  not  a  little  perplexed  by  the  mys- 
tery which  seemed  to  surround  the  movements  of 
the  men. 

"Why  didn't  they  speak  after  I  hailed  them?  If 
they  had  been  honest  men  they  would  have  said  some- 
thing after  the  bump  the  Belle  gave  them,"  added 
Waddie,  much  excited. 

"I  am  afraid  there  is  something  wrong,"  I  con- 
tinued. 

"I  don't  know  why  there  should  be,"  interposed 
Tom  Walton.    "It  isn't  so  very  strange  that  a  boat 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.         103 

should  cross  the  lake  in  the  night.  Perhaps  the  men 
are  going  after  a  doctor  for  some  one  that  is  sick." 

"  Why  didn't  they  speak  when  I  hailed  ? "  insisted 
Waddie.  "Any  honest  man  would  have  sung  out 
when  we  ran  into  his  boat." 

"Perhaps  they  were  frightened,"  suggested  Tom. 

"  They  did  not  pull  like  men  who  were  alarmed 
when  we  saw  them." 

"  Well,  I  thought  they  did  pull  just  like  men  who 
were  scared.     They  made  good  time." 

"  I'm  not  satisfied,  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  to 
see  some  building  blaze  up  in  a  few  moments,"  per- 
sisted Waddie. 

This  remark  corresponded  with  my  own  thoughts. 
We  were  both  thinking  of  fires,  for  in  all  the  towns 
upon  the  lake  there  had  been  a  large  number  of  them 
within  a  few  months,  all  of  which  were  believed  to 
have  been"  caused  by  incendiaries,  though  no  one 
could  comprehend  the  motives  of  the  miscreants  who 
set  them.  In  Centreport  and  Middleport  several  barns 
and  storehouses  had  been  destroyed,  and  I  was  per- 
suaded that  the  two  men  in  the  boat  were  incendiaries. 

u  Shall  I  head  her  for  Ruoara  ?  "  asked  Tom,  while 


104  „  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

we  were  discussing  the  matter.  "  We  are  going  to 
leeward  now." 

"No;  run  her  for  the  steamboat  wharf  at  Centre- 
port,"  I  replied.  "  I  am  going  ashore  to  see  what 
those  men  are  about." 

"  All  right,"  added  Tom,  as  he  peered  through  the 
gloom  to  make  out  the  wharf. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Waddie  ?  Will  you  land  with 
me?"  I  asked,  as  we  approached  the  wharf.  "Tom 
can  land  Miss  Dornwood  at  Ruoara,  and  take  us  on 
board  when  he  returns." 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  exactly  like  to  leave  her, 
since  she  depends  upon  me  for  assistance,"  answered 
Waddie,  hesitating.  "  If  the  Pinkertons  should  hap- 
pen to  be  away,  she  might  wish  to  take  some  other 
course." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  will  do  just  as  well,"  interposed 
the  skipper.  "  I  will  go  with  you,  Wolf,  and  Waddie 
can  sail  the  Belle  down  to  Ruoara." 

"  That  will  fit  the  case  exactly,"  replied  Waddie,  as 
the  boat  rounded  to  at  the  landing-steps. 

Taking  our  overcoats,  Tom  Walton  and  I  went  on 
shore.     Still  we  heard  nothing  from  Miss  Dornwood, 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF   LAKE   T7CAYGA.         105 

aud  we  thought  she  was  sleeping  very  soundly,  if  the 
shock  of  the  collision  had  failed  to  wake  her.  "We 
went  upon  the  wharf,  but  we  could  see  nothing  of  the 
two  men. 

"  I  wonder  what  boat  they  came  over  in,"  said  Tom, 
as  he  descended  the  steps  to  satisfy  himself  on  this 
point.  ' 

"  Do  you  make  it  out  ?  "  I  asked,  following  him  half 
way  down. 

"Yes,  it  is  the  Grace's  tender,"  answered  he. 

"  There  will  be  a  fire  over  here  soon  —  you  may  de- 
pend upon  i£J"  I  continued,  as  we  walked  up  the  steps 
again.  "  Nothing  would  suit  me  better  than  to  get 
hold  of  the  villains." 

"  I  am  with  you  there,  Wolf,"  added  Tom,  earnestly. 
"But,  after  all,  it  isn't  so  strange  that  a  boat  should 
cross  tTie  lake  even  at  midnight." 

"  Certainly  there  is  nothing  strange  in  the  crossing 
of  the  boat,  but  there  is  something  very  strange  in 
the  conduct  of  those  men.  It  is  the  most  natural 
thing  in  the  world  for  men  to  sing  out  when  a  boat 
runs  into  them ;  but  these  men  did  not  open  their 
mouths.    When  the  Belle  approached  them,  their  boat 


106  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

was  lying  on  the  water,  and  they  were  perfectly  silent, 
evidently  trying  to  avoid  being  seen.  If  they  had 
pulled  straight  across  the  lake,  like  honest  men,  I 
shouldn't  have  thought  anything  of  their  being  out 
at  this  time  of  night." 

"Perhaps  you  are  right,"  added  Tom. 

"At  any  rate,  we  can  take  a  turn  around  the  town, 
where  the  barns  and  storehouses  are,  and  see  if  we 
can  find  them."  * 

We  walked  along  the  street  by  the  side  of  the  lake, 
looking  carefully  into  all  the  lanes  and  by-places. 


THE  YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.        107 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   ROBBEEY   OF   THE    CENTEEPOET   BANK. 

TOM  WALTON  and  I  went  entirely  around  the 
town  of  Centreport,  visiting  every  part  where 
there  were  detached  buildings  which  presented  to 
the  incendiary  favorable  opportunities  for  plying  his 
infamous  trade.  The  main  street,  on  which  were 
located  the  principal  churches,  the  bank,  the  post 
office,  the  library,  and  other  public  buildings,  was 
so  densely  populated  that  the  miscreants  could  not 
work  to  advantage.  So  far  as  we  could  discover, 
not  a  soul  was  stirring  in  the  place.  We  saw 
nothing  of  the  two  men,  and  when  we  returned  to 
the  steamboat  wharf,  Tom  was  rather  disposed  to 
make*  fun  of  my  fears. 

"We  haven't  seen  a  spark  of  fire  yet,  Wolf," 
said  he,  as  we  seated  ourselves  on  a  box,  much 
fatigued  after  the  long  tramp  we  had  taken. 


108  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"That's  very  true,  and  I  am  willing  to  give  it 
up,  and  to  believe  there  will  be  no  fire  in  Cen- 
treport  this  time,"  I  replied. 

"It  was  a  wild  goose  chase." 

"Perhaps  it  was;  but  it  may  be  that  our  coming 
on  shore  has  saved  some  building  from  destruction," 
I  reasoned.  "  If  we  did  not  see  the  rogues,  they 
may  have  seen  us,  and  kept  out  of  the  way." 

"  That  may  be,  and  then  again  it  may  not  be.  In 
my  opinion,  the  two  persons  in  that  boat  were  a 
couple  of  honest  men  who  had  been  courting,  and 
sat  up  rather  later  than  they  meant  to.  Probably 
they  knew  the  Belle,  and  did  not  want  us  to  know 
who  they  were,  for  fear  they  would  get  blackguarded," 
replied  Tom,  with  an  expansive  gape,  which  I  could 
hear,  if  I  could  not  see. 

"You  are  ingenious,  Tom,  and  very  likely  your 
explanation  of  the  mystery  is  a  reasonable  one,"  I 
added,  with  a  yawn  as  expansive  as  that  of  my 
companion. 

"What  time  is  it  now?" 

"I  don't  know;  about  two,  I  should  think." 

"Look  at  your  watch,"  added  he,  striking  a  match 
to  afford  me  the  needed  light. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.         109 

"Half  past  two,"  I  answered,  consulting  my  watch. 

"I'm  as  tired  as  a  dog,"  added  Tom. 

"  So  am  I." 

"I  suppose  Waddie  will  not  be  back  before  five 
o'clock.  He  must  see  the  young  lady  up  to  Mr. 
Pinkerton's  house." 

"  I  do  not  expect  him  before  that  time." 

"Well,  Wolf,  I  move  you  we  take  a  nap,"  con- 
tinued Tom,  stretching  himself.  "  Here's  the  Raven, 
and  we  can  bunk  on  board  of  her." 

"Her  cabin  is  locked." 

"  The  standing-room  is  not,  and  we  can  lie  down, 
as  we  did  in  the  Belle." 

I  apjjroved  the  suggestion.  We  had  our  overcoats 
with  us,  and  both  of  us  were  tough  and  hardy. 
We  wrapped  ourselves  in  the  coats,  and  he  took  one 
seat  while  I  took  the  other.  Neither  of  us  needed 
rocking,  and  we  dropped  asleep  as  readily  as  though 
we  had  been  in  our  own  beds  on  shore.  By  the 
side  of  the  Raven,  which  was  Waddie  Wimpleton's 
boat,  lay  the  tender  of  the  Grace,  in  which  the 
strange  men  had  crossed  the  lake.  If  they  intended 
to  return  to  Middleport  in  her,  they  could  not  very 
well  get  off  without  waking  us. 


110  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

I  do  not  know  what  it  was  that  aroused  me  in 
the  morning,  but  the  moment  my  senses  came  back 
to  me,  I  was  conscious  that  there  was  a  grand  com- 
motion in  Centreport.  It  was  broad  daylight,  and  I 
heard  people  shouting  in  the  street  above  the  wharf. 
I  waked  Tom,  who  had  not  been  disturbed  by  the 
noise  that  had  aroused  me. 

"  What's  the  row  ? "  asked  he,  springing  to  his 
feet. 

"  I  heard  some  one  shouting  up  in  the  street.  I 
should  not  wonder  if  there  was  a  fire,  after  all." 

"A  fire!" 

"I  don't  know.  We  will  go  up  and  see  what  the 
trouble  is.  There  is  some  kind  of  a  row  in  town, 
at  any  rate." 

We  walked  up  the  wharf;  but  we  heard  no  more 
shouting.  The  Grace's  tender  lay  alongside  the 
Raven,  just  as  it  had  been  when  we  went  to  sleep, 
and  of  course  the  strange  men  had  not  returned  to 
Middleport  in  it.  Just  at  the  head  of  the  wharf, 
and  within  twenty  rods  of  the  moorings  of  the 
Raven,  was  the  house  of  Captain  Synders,  the  con- 
stable of  Centreport.    As  we  approached  it,  we  saw 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         Ill 

that  officer  rushing  out  in  hot  haste,  buttoning  his 
vest,  as  though  he  had  not  been  allowed  sufficient 
time  to  complete  his  toilet.  I  at  once  reached  a 
correct  solution  of  the  noise  which  had  disturbed 
my  slumbers.  Some  one  had  been  pounding  at  the 
door  of  the  constable's   house,  and  shouting  for  him. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  I  inquired,  as  we  ran  for- 
ward and  overtook  him. 

"They  say  the  Centreport  Bank  has  been  robbed," 
replied  Captain  Synders,  with  all  the  excitement  of 
manner  which  such  a  discovery  was  likely  to  create 
in  a  dignitary  of  his  importance. 

"  Robbed !  "   exclaimed  Tom. 

"Robbed!"   I  repeated. 

"That's  what  they  say,  and  I  suppose  it's  true, 
for  Gibson,  the  porter  of  the  bank  building,  came 
down  to  call  me.     He  was  almost  crazy." 

Captain  Synders  quickened  his  pace,  and  we  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  bank.  Gibson  had  already  called 
Mr.  Barnes,  the  cashier,  who  arrived  about  the  same 
time  that  we  did.  He  was  terribly  excited,  as  well 
he  might  be,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  examine  the 
vault,  which   opened  from  the  banking-room.     The 


112  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

double  doors  were  open,  as  the  robbers  had  left 
them,  and  Mr.  Barnes  ,  entered,  intent  upon,  ascer- 
taining what  loss  the  bank  had  sustained.  My  heart 
beat  quick,  also,  for  I  had  ten  thousand  dollars  in 
bonds  in  the  bank,  which  had  been  presented  to  me 
by  Colonel  Wimpleton.  .A  similar  princely  gift  from 
Major  Toppleton  had  been  deposited  in  the  Wim- 
pleton Bank  for  safe  keeping.  I  was  actually  worth 
more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars,  but  I  could  not 
help  feeling  just  then  that  riches  take  to  themselves 
wings  and  fly  away. 

The  cashier  made  a  hasty  examination  of  the 
drawers  in  the  vault.  All  of  them  had  evidently 
been  opened,  and  valuable  papers  were  scattered 
like  chaff  through  the  little  apartment.  The  robbers 
evidently  did  not  intend  to  encumber  themselves 
with  any  useless  documents. 

"All  the  money  is  gone,"  said  Mr.  Barnes,  with 
a  gasp. 

"All  your  specie?"  I  asked. 

"No;  not  all  of  it.  I  suppose  it  was  too  heavy 
for  them,"  he  replied,  examining  the  boxes  which 
had  contained  the  gold,  at  the  bottom  of  the  vault. 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.     113 

"  They  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  it.  All  the  bank 
notes  are  'gone.     They  have  made  a  good  haul." 

"How  much  do  you  suppose  they  have  taken?" 
inquired  Captain  Synders. 

"I  can't  tell;  but  not  less  than  sixty  thousand 
dollars." 

"  Good  gracious !  "  exclaimed  the  excited  constable. 

"  I  did  not  believe  that  this  vault  could  be  opened 
by  any  burglar,"  added  the  cashier,  as  he  turned  to 
the  riven  doors. 

A  hole  had  been  cut  in  the  outer  one,  and  screws 
applied  by  which  the  bolts  on  it  had  been  doubled 
up  and  wrenched  off.  The  robbers  were  evidently 
accomplished  mechanicians,  and  had  probably  come 
a  long  distance,  from  some  one  of  the  great  cities, 
to  do  the  job.  They  had  entered  the  building 
through  a  back  window,  by  taking  out  the  screws 
in  the  hinges  of  the  shutters,  and  then  cutting 
through  the  glass  to  unfasten   the   sash. 

"The  men  we  saw  on  the  lake  did  this  job," 
said  Tom. 

"What  men?"  demanded  Captain  Synders. 

We  related  our  adventure  in  the  Narrows  in  the 
8 


114*  BEAR   AND    FORBEA'R,    OB 

night,  and  no  one  doubted  that  the  two  strange 
men  were  the  robbers. 

"  What  sort  of  men  were  they  ?  "  asked  the  cashier. 

"We  couldn't  see  them  very  plainly.  When  we 
had  lighted  the  bengola  they  were  too  far  off  to 
be  identified,"  I  replied.  "We  supposed  they  came 
over  to  set  fires,  and  we  walked  all  around  the 
town  to  find  them,  if  we  could." 

"  What  time  was  this  ? "  inquired  the  constable. 

"After  twelve  —  about  half  past  twelve,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  what's  to  be  done?"  said  the  cashier,  ap- 
pealing nervously  to  the  officer. 

"I  will  look  over  the  vault  again,  and  see  if  I 
can  find  anything  that  will  afford  me  a  clew  to  the 
robbers." 

We  went  to  the  vault  again,  and  Mr.  Barnes 
picked  up  the  papers  on  the  floor.  Among  them 
were  my  bonds,  none  of  which  had  been  taken,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  villains  could  make  no 
■use  of  them.  Nothing  could  be  found  to  afford  any 
clew  to  the  robbers.  There  was  no  stray  button, 
piece  of  cloth,  nor  any  of  the  tools  with  which  they 
had  worked. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OP    LAKE    TJCAYGA.  115 

"I  don't  think  they  had  been  gone  long  when  I 
came,"  said  the  porter.  "I  heard  a  noise  on  the 
back  side  of  the  building  when  I  was  opening  the 
front  door." 

"Why  didn't  you  say  so  before,"  replied  Cap- 
tain Synders,  savagely.  "Have  we  been  fooling 
away  our  time   while   the    rascals   were   in    town?" 

"I  didn't  think  of  it  till  just  this  minute,"  pleaded 
Gibson.  "  I  didn't  think  anything  of  it  at  the  time, 
and  when  I  went  in  and  found  the  bank  had  been 
robbed,  I  was  so  scared  I  couldn't  think  of  anything 
else." 

"What  sort  of  a  noise  did  you  hear?"  demanded 
the  constable. 

"I  don't  know  just  what  it  was.  It  was  a  kind 
of  a  shuffling  noise.  Perhaps  the  robbers  had 
thrown  their  traps  out  the  window,  and  were 
flying  round   to   pick    them   up." 

"  You  are  smart !  "  sneered  Captain  Synders. 
"Why  didn't  you  go  round  to  the  rear  of  the 
building,   and   see    what   it   was  ? " 

"  Because  I  didn't  think  anything  at  all  about  it," 
replied   Gibson,  who   was  terribly  frightened  by  the 


116  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

charge  that  he  had  failed  to  do  his  whole  duty. 
"I  don't  go  and  look  into  everything  whenever  I 
hear  a  noise — do  you?" 

"I  do,  when  a  bank  has  been  robbed." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  know  a  bank  had  been  robbed 
when  I  heard  that  noise." 

"Gibson  did  the  best  he  knew  how,"  added  the 
cashier.  "If  the  robbers  left  only  half  an  hour  ago, 
they  cannot  have  gone  far  by  this  time." 

"That's  so!"  exclaimed  Captain  Synders,  as  he 
bolted  out  the  door. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  shouted  the  cashier. 

"After  a  horse."  But  he  did  not  wait  to  answer 
any  questions  in  regard  to  his  intended  movement, 
and  we  were  left  in  the  dark. 

"Synders  is  a  blockhead,"  said  Mr.  Barnes.  "He 
will  make   a  great  stir,  and   that  is  all  he  will  do." 

"  He  will  not  be  likely  to  catch  the  burglars,"  I 
replied ;  for  I  had  a  poor  opinion  of  the  constable's 
capacity  to  work  up  a  case.  "It's  a  pity  we  haven't 
a  smarter  man." 

We  went  out  of  the  bank  to  the  rear  window 
where   the   villains  had   entered   the    building.    The 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         117 

ground  was  much  beaten  and  tracked,  and  I  was 
soon  able  to  identify  the  footprints  of  the  two  men. 
I  found  the  track  by  which  they  had  come  to  the 
building,  and  that  by  which  they  had  left  it.  The 
latter  only  interested  me,  and  I  traced  it  as  far  as 
I  could.  It  led  me  through  a  narrow  and  circuitous 
alley,  which  conducted  to  a  street  back  of  the  main 
one  of  the  town.  I  satisfied  myself  that  the  villains 
had  approached  the.  bank  in  this  direction. 

"Tom,  whoever  robbed  the  bank,  they  were  not 
strangers  in  Centreport,"  said  I  to  the  skipper,  after 
the  cashier  had  gone  to  secure  the  valuable  papers 
which  were  scattered  about  the  vault. 

"What  makes   you  think  so?"  asked  Tom. 

"  Strangers  could  not  have  found  their  way  through 
these  back  alleys." 

"Who  do   you   suppose  they  were?" 

"I  have  no  idea,"  I  replied,  still  studying  the 
ground,  at  the  junction  of  the  alley  with  the  back 
street,  in  order  to  ascertain  in  what  direction  the 
robbers  had  departed.  "I  can't  think  of  any  one 
who  is  up  to  a  deed  of  this  kind." 

"  Here's  the  track ! "  cried  Tom.  "  They  went  down 
towards  the  steam  mill." 


118  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

One  of  the  burglars  wore  a  boot  with  irons  on  the 
outside  of  the  heels,  the  print  of  which  enabled  us 
to  follow  them ;  but  when  we  came  to  a  street  more 
travelled  and  harder  than  the  other,  we  could  no 
longer  trace  it.  But  we  were  satisfied  that  the 
rogues  had  gone  down  to  the  lake.  There  were  no 
boats  below  the  steamboat  wharf,  that  we  knew  of, 
and  we  concluded  that  they  must  have  returned 
as  they  came.  "We  hastened  towards  the  public 
landing. 

"There  they  are?"  shouted  Tom,  as  we  reached 
a  point  in  the  street  which  extended  along  the 
bank  of  the  lake  from  Colonel  Wimpleton's  man- 
sion, from  which  we  could  see  the  end  of  the 
wharf. 


THE   YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA.         119 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE   ROBBERS    SEPARATE. 


TOM  WALTON  pointed  to  the  tender  of  the 
Grace,  in  which  a  young  man  was  pulling 
across  the  Narrows  with  all  his  might.  He  was 
already  so  far  from  us  that  we  could  not  make  him 
out.  "We  ran  with  all  our  speed  towards  the  wharf; 
but  we  were  obliged  to  pass  behind  some  buildings, 
and  lost  sight  of  the  retreating  robber  in  the  boat. 
It  was  still  early  in  the  morning,  and  no  one  in 
this  part  of  the  town  was  stirring. 

"I  am  afraid  we  are  too  late,"  said  Tom,  as  we 
turned  the  corner  at  the  steamboat  wharf. 

"If  we  can  only  see  them  so  that  we  shall  know 
them,  we  shall  have  some  chance,"  I  replied. 

"  There  goes  the  Raven ! "  shouted  my  companion, 
as  we  saw  Waddie's  sail-boat  shooting  out  from  the 
wharf. 


120  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

"Who  is  in  her?  Isn't  it  some  one  after  that 
fellow  in  the  tender?" 

"I  don't  know;  it  may  be,"  replied  Tom,  as  we 
halted,  out  of  breath,  at  the  end  of  the  wharf. 

By  this  time  the  man  in  the  row-boat  had  nearly 
reached  the  other  side  of  the  lake.  I  could  only 
see  that  he  was  a  young  man,  well  dressed,  and 
rather  ,slender  in  stature.  He  had  taken  off  his  coat, 
and  was  bareheaded.  The  other  man,  in  the  Raven, 
seemed  to  take  particular  care  that  he  should  not 
be  scrutinized  by  any  person  on  shore.  He  wore  a 
shaggy  old  coat,  and  a  dilapidated  Panama  hat ;  but 
these  articles  belonged  to  Waddie,  who  kept  them 
in  the  boat  for  use  when  he  went  fishing  or  sailing. 
The  robber  in  the  Raven  had  evidently  availed  him- 
self of  these  garments  to  disguise  his  person  as 
much  as  possible. 

He  was  a  good  boatman,  and  handled  the  Raven 
with  much  skill.  He  had  left  the  wharf  under 
mainsail  only;  but  as  soon  as  he  was  clear  of  the 
shore,  he  ran  up  the  jib,  and  headed  the  boat  up 
the  lake.  I  did  not  readily  see  why  the  rogues  had 
separated   at    this    point,   whether  it   was  to   divide 


THE   YOUNG    SKirPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         121 

their  pursuers,  or  whether  they  wished  to  go  to 
different  parts  of  the  country.  The  Raven  and  the 
tender  were  the  only  boats  at  the  wharf,  and  I 
finally  concluded  that  they  had  taken  this  course  to 
prevent  the  sail-boat  from  being  used  in  the  pur- 
suit, as  well  as  to  divide  the  attention  of  the  pur- 
suers, for  I  was  satisfied  that  they  were  conscious  of 
having  been  discovered.  In  order  to  obtain  the  tiller, 
the  hat,  and  the  coat,  the  man  in  the  Raven  must 
have  broken  into  the  cabin;  but  this  was  a  trivial 
achievement  to  one  who  had  set  at  defiance  the 
huge  lock  of  the  bank  vault. 

"We  are  standing  here  like  fools!"  exclaimed 
Tom,  as  we  were  watching  the  two  boats,  though 
we  had  hardly  wasted  a  minute  in  this  way. 

"We    have    no    boat    to    follow    them,"  I  replied. 

"  But  there  comes  the  Belle,"  I  added,  as  I  glanced  up 
the  lake. 

The  sail-boat  was  not  half  a  mile  distant,  and 
we  had  been  so  intent  upon  observing  the  move- 
ments of  the  robbers  that  we  did  not  see.  her  be- 
fore. The  breeze  was  even  fresher  than  it  had  been 
during   the   night,    and    she    was   rushing    over    the 


122  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

waves  with  a  huge  bone  in  her  mouth,  at  a  speed 
which  would  soon  bring  her  to  the  wharf.  The 
man  in  the  tender  landed  at  the  wharf  in  Middle- 
port,  and  with  his  hat  and  coat  in  his  hand,  walked 
up  the  wharf.  Though  we  lost  sight  of  him,  we 
were  confident  that  he  would  be  overtaken.  There 
were  but  three  roads  by  which  he  could  leave  the 
town,  if  he  left  it  at  all,  and  men  with  fast  horses 
could  make  his  chances  of  escaping  very  small. 

"  Hurry  up,  Waddie ! "  shouted  Tom,  as  the  Belle 
neared  the  wharf. 

"  Shall  we  try  to  follow  both  of  them,  or  only  one  ? 
That's  the  question  now,"  I  added. 

"  Both  of  them,  of  course,"  replied  Tom,  eagerly. 
"  I  will  chase  the  Raven  in  the  Belle,  and  you  or  Wad- 
die  can  follow  the  fellow  that  went  over  in  the  tender." 

"  Good !     That  is  the  plan." 

"  Hallo,  there !  Have  you  seen  anything  of  them  ?  " 
shouted  Captain  Synders,  as  he  drove  his  horse  swiftly 
down  the  wharf. 

"  Yes,  seen  them  both,"  I  answered.  "  One  has 
crossed  over  to  Middleport,  and  the  other  is  in  the 
Raven." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  123 

"  Good  gracious ! "  exclaimed  the  excited  constable. 
"  Get  me  a  boat,  and  row  me  over  to  the  other  side 
as  quick  as  lightning." 

"  We  have  no  boat ;  but  there  comes  the  Belle. 
She  will  be  here  in  half  a  minute." 

"But  I  am  going  to  chase  the  Raven  in  the  Belle," 
interposed  Tom,  who  had  worked  himself  up  to  a 
high  pitch  of  excitement  at  the  prospect  of  the  thrill- 
ing race  before  him. 

"I  must  get  across  the  lake  somehow,"  added  the 
officer. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  Waddie,  as  he 
rounded  the  corner  of  the  wharf,  and  headed  the  Belle 
up  to  the  landing-steps. 

"  The  bank  has  been  robbed,"  returned  Tom,  as  we 
all  rushed  to  the  stairs. 

"  By  the  great  horn  spoon ! "   ejaculated   Waddie. 

"Sixty  thousand  dollars  gone,"  added  Tom. 

"  You  don't  mean  so !  " 

"  It's  as  true  as  preaching.  One  of  the  robbers  has 
taken  the  Raven,  and  the  other  has  crossed  to  Middle- 
port." 

"  By  the  great  horn  spoon ! "  repeated  Waddie,  so 


124  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

startled  by  the  intelligence  that  he  could  only  give 
expression  to  his  feelings  in  his  favorite  phrase. 

"  Hurry  up ! "  shouted  the  constable,  as  we  all 
tumbled  into  the  boat. 

Captain  Synders  told  the  man  who  had  come  with 
him  in  the  wagon  to  drive  the  horse  back  to  the 
stable,  and  inform  the  bank  people  where  he  had  gone. 

"What's  to  be  done?"  demanded  Waddie,  as  he 
shoved  off  the  Belle. 

"  Put  me  across  the  lake  in  double-quick  time,"  re- 
plied the  constable. 

"No;  run  down  to  your  father's  house,  and  take 
another  boat,"  added  Tom.  "  I  shall  lose  sight  of  the 
Raven  if  you  keep  me  to  go  over  there." 

"That's  it.  We  have  another  sail-boat  there,  and 
it  won't  take  three  minutes  longer,"  added  Waddie,  as 
he  headed  the  Belle  in  the  direction  indicated. 

"  That  won't  do,"  protested  the  constable.  "  I  shall 
lose  the  fellow  on  the  other  side." 

"  And  I  shall  lose  the  fellow  on  the  lake,"  retorted 
Tom. 

"  But  I  am  the  constable  of  Centreport,"  puffed  the 
captain. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         125 

"  Tom  is  right,"  I  interposed.  "  The  fellow  on  the 
other  side  can't  get  a  great  way.  The  Raven  is  a 
faster  boat  than  the  Belle,  and  — " 

"We  will  settle  that  question  to-day,"  interposed 
Tom.  "It's  going  to  be  breezy,  and  we  shall  see  which 
is  the  best  boat.  That  fellow  handles  the  Raven  as 
though  he  knew  how;  but,  if  I  don't  beat  him,  I'll  sell 
the  Belle  for  two  cents." 

The  constable  yielded  the  point  at  my  suggestion, 
and  in  a  couple  of  minutes  Waddie  ran  the  boat 
alongside  the  little  pier  near  his  father's  house. 

"  Which  of  you  is  going  with  me  ?  "  demanded  the 
constable,  as  he  stepped  ashore. 

"  I  will,"  replied  Waddie.  "  Hold  on  just  one  min- 
ute, Tom.     I  have  something  for  you." 

Waddie  rushed  into  a  building  adjoining  the  billiard 
house,  where  he  kept  his  property.  I  sprang  on  board 
of  the  sail-boat  at  the  pier,  and  hoisted  the  mainsail. 
Tom  gave  an  extra  pull  at  his  peak-halyards,  which 
Waddie  had  not  fixed  to  suit  him. 

"  Here,  Tom,  take  this.  You  may  want  to  use  it," 
said  Waddie,  returning  and  handing  the  skipper  a 
revolver  —  the  one  with  which  I  had  had  some  expe- 
rience a  few  years  before. 


126  BEAR   AND   FORBEAE,   OR 

"  Thank  you,  Waddie,"  replied  Tom.  " Probably 
that  fellow  in  the  Raven  has  some  of  these  playthings, 
and  this  one  may  come  handy  to  me." 

"  Here  is  a  box  of  cartridges." 

"All  right;  I  know  just  what  to  do  with  them.  Is 
any  one  going  with  me  ?  " 

"I  am,"  I  replied,  jumping  into  the  Belle  again. 

"  You  are  the  man  for  me,  Wolf,"  added  Tom,  as  he 
shoved  off. 

The  constable  and  Waddie  pushed  off  the  other 
sail-boat,  and  headed  her  towards  Middleport.  There 
was  certainly  a  lively  prospect  of  an  exciting  chase," 
both  upon  the  land  and  the  water.  I  had  just  taken 
the  helm  of  the  Belle,  in  order  to  permit  Tom  to  adjust 
the  sails  with  the  nicest  care,  when  Colonel  Wimple- 
ton  appeared  upon  the  shore. 

"Hold  on,  Wolf!"  shouted  he.     "I  want  you." 

"Botheration!"  exclaimed  Tom.  "I  shall  never 
get   off." 

"One  of  the  robbers  is  in  that  boat,"  I  replied, 
pointing   to  the  Raven. 

"I  want  you  to  get  up  steam  on  the  Ruoara  and 
chase  her,"  added  the  colonel. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.         127 

ttI  suppose  I  must  go  ashore,  Tom,"  I  continued 
to  the  skipper,  as  I  ran  the  Belle  up  to  the  wharf 
again. 

"All  right;  I  will  fight  it  out  alone  if  I  get  near 
enough  to  the  rascal,"  answered  Tom,  who  always 
made  the  best  of  everything,  however  unfavorable 
the   circumstances. 

I  leaped  ashore,  and  pushed  off  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  so  that  the  skipper  was  detained  hardly  a 
moment.  Setting  the  helm,  he  adjusted  his  sheets, 
gave  a  pull  at  the  jib-halyards,  and  the  Belle  flew 
off  like  a  rocket,  with  the  fresh  breeze  on  the  quarter. 

"  This  is  very  awkward  business  for  me,  Wolf,"  said 
Colonel  Wimpleton,  as  we  started  for  the  steam- 
boat wharf. 

"  It  is  awkward  for  all,  I  suppose,  who  have  money 
in  the  bank,"  I  replied. 

"  It  is  particularly  so  to  me.  I  have  to  pay  twenty 
thousand  dollars  to-day,  and  all  the  cash  balance  in 
the  bank  has  been  swept  away,"  he  added.  "I  must 
pay  this  money  to-day,  or  be  dishonored.  Indeed, 
I  would  rather  lose  twice  the  amount  than  fail  to 
do  so." 


128  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"Very  likely  you  can  get  the  amount  from  the 
Middleport  Bank,"  I  suggested. 

"  Perhaps  I  can ;  but  twenty  thousand  dollars  is 
a  large  sum  to  obtain  without  any  notice  whatever. 
I  sold  some  bonds  the  other  day  to  provide  for  this 
payment,  and  now  those  villains  have  cleaned  out 
the  bank." 

"  They  may  be  caught  before  night,"  I  added.  "  I 
think  their  chances  of  escaping  are  very  small." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  the  magnate, 
shaking  his  head.  "If  that  fellow  in  the  boat  is 
hard  pressed,  he  will  run  ashore,  and  take  to  the 
woods,  and,  having  the  start,  he  will  make  good. 
use  of  his  time." 

"Tom  will  see  where  he  lands,  and  he  will  fol- 
low him  to  the   end  of  the   world." 

"Probably  the  other  robber  has  a  fast  horse  on 
the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  Captain  Synders  is 
a  clumsy  fellow." 

"But  Waddie  is  with  him." 

"Waddie  has  not  had  much  exj:>erience  in  chasing 
robbers.  I  hope  he  will  not  expose  himself,  for  these 
villains  are   probably  well  provided  with   pistols." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  129 

"Waddie  has  one  of  his  revolvers,  and  Tom  has 
the  other." 

"It  is  dangerous  business  to  deal  with  these  des- 
perate fellows,  and  I  want  a  strong  force  to  make 
the  matter  sure.  I  sent  immediately  for  the  engi- 
neer of  the  Ruoara,  but  found  he  had  gone  to 
Gulfport,  and  would  not  return  till  it  was  time  to 
make  his  first  trip.  The  fireman  is  getting  up  steam, 
but  we  had  no  one  to  run   the  boat." 

By  the  time  we  reached  the  steamboat  wharfj  all 
Centreport  was  aroused,  and  we  found  a  crowd  of 
men  on  the  pier.  The  cashier  had  a  party  ready, 
and  was  embarking  in  a  boat  for  the  other  side, 
to  assist  Captain  Synclers  in  the  pursuit  beyond 
Middleport.  I  went  on  board  of  the  Ruoara,  and 
attended  to  the  engine. 

"How  long  before  you  will  be  ready  to  start, 
Wolf?"  asked  the  colonel,  as  the  cashier's  party  was 
about  to  push   off. 

"In  about  half  an  hour,  sir,  though  this  boiler  is 
rather  slow." 

"I  must  provide  for  my  payment  to-day  and  I 
will  go  and  see  Major  Toppleton.  Run  the  boat 
9 


130  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

over  to  the  wharf  on  the  other  side  when  you  are 
ready,  and  take  me  on  board,"  added  he,  as  he 
left  me. 

I  was  rather  afraid  his  pride  would  not  permit 
him  to  apply  to  Major  Toppleton  for  assistance, 
even  in  the  emergency  which  had  so  suddenly  been 
crowded  upon  him;  but  I  had  no  doubt  the  latter 
would  be  glad  to  serve  him. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.         131 


CHAPTER   XL 

A  LITTLE    SPARK   KINDLES   A  BIG   FIRE. 

BEFORE  we  had  steam  enough  to  start  the 
Ruoara,  her  regular  engineer  arrived,  and  I 
was  relieved  from  duty  in  this  department.  In  obe- 
dience to  the  instructions  of  Colonel  Wimpleton,  I 
took  the  helm,  and  ran  the  boat  over  to  the  other 
side  of  the  lake.  I  saw  the  great  man  of  Centre- 
port  on  the  wharf,  as  we  approached,  and  I  knew 
him  well  enough  to  understand  at  once  that  some- 
thing had  gone  wrong  with  him.  He  was  walking, 
at  a  hurried  pace,  back  and  forth  across  the  end  of 
the  wharf.  He  frequently  compressed  his  lips  and 
pursed  up  his  mouth.  Yet  the  worst  I  feared  was, 
that  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  Major  Toppleton, 
in  order  to  make  his  application  for  assistance. 

The  boat  ran  up  to  the  pier,  and  still  the  colonel 
rushed  back   and  forth  across  the   wharf,  apparently 


132  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

making  mouths  at  the  evil  destiny  which  confronted 
him.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  in  any  hurry  to  pur- 
sue the  thief  who  had  stolen  his  money,  or  even  to 
take  any  notice  of  the  steamer  which  was  ready  to 
do  his  bidding.  I  had  not  seen  him  in  such  a  frame 
of  mind  for  two  months,  and  it  really  gave  me  much 
anxiety.  If  the  great  man  was  angry,  he  was  liable 
to  do  something  which  would  endanger  the  pleasant 
relations  which  now  happily  subsisted  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  lake. 

I  left  the  pilot-house  as  soon  as  the  forward  haw- 
ser was  made  fast,  and  took  position  on  the  hurri- 
cane deck,  in  plain  sight  of  him,  in  readiness  to  re- 
ceive his  commands,  whatever  they  might  be.  I 
looked  up  the  lake  to  see  how  Tom  Walton  pro- 
gressed with  the  chase ;  but  both  of  the  sail-boats 
had  disappeared  in  the  haze  of  the  morning,  or  had 
gone  behind  the  point  at  Gulfport.  I  did  not  think 
the  steamer  and  the  2^osse  on  board  of  her  would  be 
likely  to  render  much  assistance  in  catching  the 
bank  robber,  unless  she  started  very  soon ;  but  the 
colonel  still  paced  the  wharf.  I  observed  that  he 
cast  an  occasional  glance  up  the  pier,  but  his  actions 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  133 

were  all  a  mystery  to  me.  At  last  he  halted  near 
the  gangway  of  the  boat,  and,  after  gazing  atten- 
tively towards  the  head  of  the  wharf  for  a  moment, 
he  rushed,  with  an  appearance  of  desperation  in  his 
manner,  on  board  of  the  steamer. 

"I  can't  wait  any  longer,  Wolf;  cast  off,"  said  he. 

I  had  not  the  least  idea  what  he  was  waiting  for; 
but  I  repeated  the  order  he  had  given  me  to  the 
captain  of  the  boat,  who  was  on  board,  and  in 
another  moment  we  were  headed  up  the  lake.  I 
ought  to  say  that  these  ferry  boats  were  a  part  of 
my  charge,  and  their  commanders  looked  to  me  for 
directions.  The  colonel  remained  on  the  forward 
deck,  resuming  his  walk  there  with  as  much  zeal 
as  he  had  manifested  on  the  wharf.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  he  looked  decidedly  ugly,  and  I  began  to 
fear  that  he  had  had  a  falling  out  with  Major  Top- 
pleton,  and  that  there  was  more  work  for  the  young 
peacemakers  to  do. 

Some  one  had  said,  within  a  short  time,  that 
Captain  Wolf  Penniman  had  a  great  deal  of  influ- 
ence over  both  the  magnates,  and  that  he  even 
twisted  them  around  his  little  finger,  as  though  they 


134  BEAR   AND    FOEBEAR,    OR 

had  been  boys.  For  my  own  part,  I  could  not  see 
it,  for  I  was  absolutely  afraid  of  both  of  them  —  I 
mean,  afraid  of  offending  them  in  some  manner.  I 
certainly  treated  them  both  with  the  most  profound 
respect,  and  never  ventured  upon  the  slightest  fa- 
miliarity with  them.  When  I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty 
to  speak,  I  did  so.  Whatever  influence  I  had  over 
them  was  really  through  their  own  sons  and  daugh- 
ters. As  I  had  been  at  times  on  good  terms  with 
both,  I  was  the  medium  of  communication  between 
them;  and  it  was  presumed  to  be  my  influence, 
when  it  was  actually  that  of  Tommy  and  Waddie. 

I  wanted  to  know  what  the  matter  was  with  the 
colonel,  yet  I  had  not  the  assurance  to  ask  him. 
But  I  hoped  he  would  tell  me,  and,  as  there  was 
no  one  else  on  board  to  whom  he  would  be  likely 
to  speak,  I  expected  him  to  do  so.  I  waited  a  while 
on  the  hurricane  deck  for  his  wrath  to  subside,  and 
then  I  went  below,  where  he  could  see  me,  and 
where,  if  he  wished  to  do  so,  he  could  mention 
What  it  was  that  troubled  him.  I  passed  him  on 
the  forward  deck,  and  seated  myself  on  the  rail  near 
the  bow,  on  the  lookout  for  the  Belle  and  the 
Raven,  which  I  hoped  soon  to  see  again. 


THE   TOTING   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  135 

"Wolf"  said  the  colonel,  after  he  had  gradually- 
worked  forward  till  he  came  to  the  place  where  I 
was  seated. 

I  turned  and  looked  at  him.  It  did  not  appear  to 
me  that  his  wrath  had  sensibly  subsided,  for  his 
under  lip  was  projected  far  out  beyond  the  upper 
one,  and  I  had  learned  to  interpret  this  as  a  bad 
sign. 

"  Wolf,  I  have  been  trying  for  two  months  to  be- 
lieve that  Toppleton  was  a  good  friend  of  mine,"  he 
added,  after  one  of  his  ominous  pauses. 

"I  have  been  able  to  believe  it  without  trying 
very  hard,"  I  ventured  to  reply;  for  an  equivocal 
answer,  under  the  circumstances,  looked  criminal 
to  me. 

"It  is  not  so.  For  dinner  parties,  and  drumming 
through  the  streets,  with  all  the  parade  of  friend- 
ship, he's  all  right;  but  when  you  come  to  the  real, 
substantial  thing,  it  is  all  a  humbug  with  him." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  think  so,"  I  replied,  deeply  grieved 
to  have  my  worst  fears  realized. 

"I  should  not  think  so,  if  I  could  help  it,"  he 
added,  biting   his   lip.     "I  went    to    Toppleton    and 


136  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

told  him  what  had  happened,  and  that  I  had  to 
pay  twenty  thousand   dollars  to-day." 

"  Of  course  he  was  willing  to  accommodate  you," 
I  suggested,  in  order  to  draw  him  out. 

"Not  at  all.  Instead  of  that,  he  began  to  hem. 
and  ha,  and  make  apologies,"  replied  the  colonel, 
with  intense  disgust. 

"I  am  very  much  surprised." 

"  So  was  I,"  added  the  colonel,  dryly. 

"  But  he  must  have  some  good  reason,"  I  intimated. 

"What  good  reason  can  he  have?  Do  you  sup- 
pose, if  he  came  to  me  under  such  circumstances,  I 
would  make  any  apologies  ?  No !  I  would  give  him 
the  money  without  winking,  even  if  I*  broke  the 
Centreport  Bank." 

"  But  what  did  he  say,  sir  ? "  I  inquired,  not  quite 
willing  to  believe  that  Major  Toppleton  would  be 
behind  the  colonel  in  good  intentions. 

"What  did  he  say?  Why,  he  began  to  make  ex- 
cuses. He  told  me  he  had  hastened  home  to  pay  a 
note  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  railroad  iron,  Which 
became  due  to-day,  and.  the  payment  would  use  up 
his  entire  balance  in  the  bank." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TTCAYGA.         137 


It  seemed  to  me  that  this  was  a  tolerably  good 
excuse,  though  I  did  not  venture  to  say  so  while 
the  great  man  was  so   excited. 

"Didn't  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  were 
waiting  on  the  wharf  for  something?"   I  asked. 

"I  was  waiting  for  Toppleton.  He  said  he  would 
see  the  cashier  of  the  Micldleport  Bank,  and  ascer- 
tain what  could  be  done.  He  told  me  he  would  see 
me  on  the  wharf  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes." 

"Perhaps  he  could  not  find  the  cashier." 

"Perhaps  not,"  sneered  the  colonel.  "I  don't 
think  he  wanted  to  see  him  very  badly." 

"I  am  satisfied  Major  Toppleton  will  do  all  he 
can,"  I  added. 

"If  he  means  to  do  so,  he  has  an  awkward  way 
of  showing  it.  In  my  opinion  he  is  selfish,  and  does 
not  act  like  a  genuine  friend." 

"I  think   you  wrong  him,  Colonel  Wimpleton." 

"No,  I  don't!  Isn't  there  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
in  the  Middleport  Bank?"  continued  he,  warmly. 
"Isn't   there  enough  to  pay  his  note  and  mine?" 

"I  know  nothing  about  it;  but  I  think  you  and 
Major  Toppleton  need  a  couple  of  bears  between 
vou." 


138  BEAR  AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  A  '  couple  of  what  ?  "  demanded  the  colonel, 
sternly. 

"  A  couple  of  bears,"  I  replied,  laughing. 
"Bears?" 
"Yes,  sir." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that,  Wolf?" 
"  One  is  bear,  and  the  other  is  forbear." 
"  I  don't  want  any  moral  lessons,  Wolf,  from  you." 
"Excuse  me,  sir;  but  I  meant  no  offence." 
"You  need   not    presume   to    lecture    me   on  my 
duties." 

"Captain  Portman  presented  a  black  bear  to  me 
yesterday,  and  that  bear  was  indirectly  the  cause  of 
my  being  here  last  night,  when  these  robbers  crossed 
the  lake.  Bears  have  been  uppermost  in  my  mind 
since  that  event." 

"Without  any  fault  on  my  part,  I  am  put  in  a 
tight  place.  I  have  no  claim  upon  Toppleton,  it  is 
.true ;  but,  if  he  were  the  friend  he  pretends  to  be, 
he  would  help  me  bear  my  burden  to-day.  That  is 
the  only  bear  I  want  to  know  anything  about  at 
the  present  time.  I  am  mortified  and  disgusted  with 
myself  to  think  I  said  anything  to  him  about  the 
matter." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         139 

"But  you  did  not  even  wait  to  hear  what  he 
would  do,  or  what  he  could  do." 

"I  waited  fifteen  minutes,  and  he  knew  I  was  in 
a  hurry.  In  my  opinion,  he  did  not  mean  to  see 
me  again.  I  call  it 'shabby  treatment,  and  Toppleton 
won't  make  anything  by  it.  No,  he  won't!"  con- 
tinued the  colonel,  working  himself  up  into  a  pas- 
sion. "I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Wolf;  I  have  been 
a  fool  to  think  that  man  was  my  friend,  or  that  he 
could  be  anything  different  from  what  he  has  been 
for  the  last  dozen  or  fifteen  years.  The  union  line 
won't  last  much  longer,  Wolf." 

Turning  on  his  heel,  he  walked  aft,  shaking  his 
head  in  the  fury  of  his  wrath.  Certainly  the  rela- 
tions between  the  two  magnates  were  again  in  a 
very  perilous  condition,  and  my  heart  rose  to  my 
throat,  so  much  did  I  dread  the  consequences  of  the 
colonel's  wrath.  He  was  an  impulsive  and  unreason- 
able man.  It  would  not  be  unlike  him  to  notify  the 
major  at  once  that  the  two  lines  would  no  longer 
run  in  correspondence.  I  should  not  have  been  sur- 
prised, at  that  moment,  to  receive  an  order  to  run 
the  Ucayga  through  to  the  lower  end  of  the  lake, 


140  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

even  without  notifying  the  Railroad  Company.  Such 
a  step  was  a  calamity  to  be  feared. 

"Wolf,  I  shall  put  more  money  into  Toppleton's 
pocket  in  one  year  by  giving  him  the  through  pas- 
sengers on  the  railroad,  than  I"  asked  him  to  lend 
me,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he  again  came  up  to  the 
place  where  I  sat. 

"I  think  it  is  rather  necessary  to  know  what 
Major  Toppleton  intends  to  do  before  you  condemn 
him,"  I  suggested. 

"  I  don't  care  what  he  intends  to  do,  so  long  as 
he  did  not  come  up  to  the  mark.  I  shall  not  take 
money  out  of  my  pocket,  and  put  it  into  his,  after 
this." 

He  walked  off  again,  leaving  me  to  consider  how 
small  a  spark  could  kindle  a  great  fire.  I  was  afraid 
he  would  order  me  to  notify  the  Railroad  Company 
that  the  present  arrangement  was  to  be  discontinued. 
He  was  excited  now,  and  I  wished  to  get  out  of 
his  way  before  he  directed  me  to  do  any  disagree- 
able thing.  By  this  time  the  boat  was  approaching 
Gulfport,  and  I  hoped  soon  to  see  the  Belle;  and 
the  sight  of  her  would  be  likely  to  change  the  sub- 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  141 

ject.  I  concluded  to  go  on  the  hurricane  deck;  but 
as  I  passed  the  colonel,  he  stopped  me. 

"Wolf,  I  must  be  at  Middleport  at  nine  o'clock 
to  take  the  train  for  Ucayga,"  said  he.  "I  must 
raise  the  money  to  pay  the  note,  though  I  cannot 
be  on  time." 

"  We  have  an  hour  to  spare,  sir,  and  within  that 
time  we  shall  know  what  is  to  be  done,"  I  replied. 
1 1  have  no  doubt  Tom  Walton  has  given  the  fellow 
in  the  Raven  a  hard  run." 

"  The  Belle ! "  shouted  the  captain  of  the  boat,  as 
we  came  up  with  the  point  below  Gulfport. 

"There  they  are!  Tom  is  crowding  him  hard, 
and  the  fellow  is  making  for  the  shore  below  the 
town  ! "   I  added. 

In  a  short  time  the  steamer  came  within  hailing 
distance  of  the  Belle ;  but  the  water  was  too  shallow 
for  her  to  run  in  towards  the  shore.  It  was  decided 
that  I  should  join  Tom  in  the  Belle,  while  a  party 
was  landed  above  and  below  to  surround  the  robber 
if  he  took  to  the  shore,  as  he  plainly  intended  to  do. 


142  BEAR  AND  FORBEAR,  OR 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    LANDING    OF    THE    ROBBER. 

THE  steamer  ran  ahead  of  the  Belle  as  far  as 
the  depth  of  the  water  would  permit,  so  as 
not  to  delay  the  latter  unnecessarily.  I  dropped 
into  the  jolly-boat,  which  was  towing  astern,  with  a 
couple  of  deck  hands  at  the  oars ;  and  the  moment 
the  steamer  stopped,  we  cast  off.  Pulling  to  a  point 
in'  the  path  of  the  Belle,  the  men  lay  on  their  oars 
till  she  came  up.  Tom  luffed  up  a  little,  and  I 
sprang  on  board,  so  that  she  lost  hardly   a  moment.  . 

"Good!  I'm  glad  you've  come,  Wolf;  for  that 
rascal  is  going  ashore,  to  take  his  chances  there," 
said  Tom,  as  I  leaped  aboard  the  Belle.  "Just  set 
up  on  the  weather  side,  and  keep  as  still  as  a 
mouse  —  as  still  as  two  mice." 

I  took  the  place  assigned  to  me,  and  kept  as  still 
as  I  was  desired  to  be.     The  boat  which  had  put 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  143 

me  on  board  returned  to  the  steamer,  and  she  ran 
up  the  lake  about  a  mile,  where  she  landed  a  part 
of  the  force  on  board.  Coming  about,  she  steamed 
up  to  the  wharf  at  Gulfport,  where  she  sent  on 
shore  the  rest  of  the  men.  Colonel  Wimpleton 
could  not  wait  for  the  issue,  and  the  steamer  then 
started  for  Middleport,  in  order  to  enable  him  to 
raise  the  money  to  pay  his  note. 

Less  than  half  a  mile  from  the  shore  of  the  lake 
there  was  a  road  which  led  from  Gulfport  to  Port 
Guuga,  which  was  to  be  the  line  of  attack  for  the 
pursuers.  About  twenty  of  them  had  volunteered 
for  the  service,  and  they  were  to  be  scattered  along 
the  road,  so  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  the 
robber  to  pass  this  line.  If  this  one  had  the  money, 
or  any  considerable  portion  of  it,  with  him,  the  chances 
were  decidedly  in  favor  of  obtaining  it  in  season 
to  pay  the  colonel's  note. 

The  Belle  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  shore 
when  I  went  on  board  of  her,  and  the  Raven  wag 
about  half  way  between  her  and  the  land.  Above 
Gulfport  the  lake  was  bordered  for  some  distance 
by  a  perpendicular  cliff   of   rocks,   from  twenty  to 


144  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

fifty  feet  high;  but  below  it  there  was  in  some 
places  a  kind  of  shelf  or  beach,  formed  by  the  crum- 
bling of  the  rock  and  earth  above  it.  There  were 
not  many  places  where  a  boat  could  land  when  the 
wind  was  fresh,  as  on  the  present  occasion,  and 
these  were  hardly  available  to  a  person  not  acquainted 
with  the  coast.  The  cliff,  which  extended  for  sev- 
eral miles  along  the  lake,  could  be  climbed  only  in 
a  few  places.  The  robber's  chances  of  getting  away 
from  us,  therefore,  were  not  first  rate.  And  then> 
if  he  succeeded  in  climbing  the  cliff,  he  was  sure  to 
be  confronted  by  the  force  along  the  road. 

The  Belle  was  doing  her  prettiest,  and  from  the 
beginning  had  been  gaining  upon  the  Raven,  for 
the  wind  was  too  fresh  for  the  latter,  though  the 
rascal  on  board  of  her  handled  her  exceedingly  well. 
Tom  Walton  was  cool  enough  to  work  the  boat  to 
the  best  advantage,  and  his  whole  soul  was  in  the 
business  he  had  in  hand. 

"  You  have  been  beating  him,  Tom,"  said  I,  as 
a  splash  of  spray  ducked  both  of  us. 

"  I  have  gained  half  a  mile  on  him  since  we 
started,"  replied  Tom,  without  taking  his  eye  off 
the  chase. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.  145 

"The  fellow  sees  it,  and  understands  the  situa- 
tion. Probably  he  will  smash  the  Raven  in  making  a 
landing." 

"He  won't  unless  he  wants  to  do  so.  Let  that 
fellow  alone.  He  knows  what  he  is  about,  and  there 
isn't  a  better  boatman  on  the  lake  or  in  the  state 
than  he  is.  He's  as  cool  as  a  cucumber,  and  when 
he  sees  the  right  place  to  land,  he'll  go  ashore," 
added  Tom,  who  could  not  help  admiring  the  rob- 
ber's skill,  in  spite  of  his  crime. 

The  villain  certainly  compelled  the  Raven  to  do 
her  best,  and  if  the  breeze  had  not  been  too  heavy 
for  her  to  carry  sail,  he  would  have  run  away  from 
his  pursuer.  As  it  was,  he  was  obliged  to  touch 
her  up,  and  let  out  the  sheet  when  the  fresh  flaws 
came,  which  materially  retarded  her  progress.  Both 
boats  dashed  furiously  on  their  course  towards  the 
shore.  We  saw  the  robber  stand  up  in  the  stern- 
sheets  of  the  Raven,  as  she  came  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  the  land,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
amining the  prospect  ahead.  The  rocks  did  not  ap- 
pear to  suit  his  fancy,  for  he  let  out  his  sheet,  and 
stood  farther  up  the  lake. 
10 


146  .  BEAR   AND   F0EBEAE,   OR 

"Do  you  see  that,  Wolf?"  exclaimed  Tom,  as  the 
fellow  put  his  helm  up. 

"I  was  in  hopes  he  would  try  to  land  there,  for  the 
cliff  is  fifty  feet  high,"  I  replied.  "  And  he  couldn't 
get  ashore  without  smashing  the  Raven." 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  he  knew  what  he  was  about? 
Wolf,  in  my  opinion,  we  are  no  match  for  that  fellow, 
and  he  will  get  away  from  us,"  added  Tom,  shaking 
his  head  significantly. 

"If  he  gets  away  from  us,  he  won't  escape  the 
twenty  men  who  are  on  the  lookout  for  him  in  the 
road." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  of  that.  A  fellow  who  is  smart 
enough  to  make  his  way  through  a  couple  of  iron 
doors,  and  sail  the  Raven  as  that  chap  does,  can  do 
almost  anything." 

"Don't  give  it  up  yet,'  Tom." 

"Give  it  up!  I've  no  notion  of  giving  it  up.  I'll 
follow  him  from  Dan  to  Beersheba,  till  the  sun  goes 
down  on  the  other  side  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
But  he's  smart,  if  he  is  a  villain ;  that's  what  I  mean 
to  say." 

"  There's  no  doubt  of  that,  Tom ;  and  we  must  be 
smart,  too,"  I  replied. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         147 

"We  had  gained  nothing' since  I  came  on  board  the 
Belle,  or  not  more  than  enough  to  make  up  for  the 
moment  lost  by  luffing  up.  The  Raven  was  still  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead  of  us.  Her  skipper  was  now 
sailing  her  along  the  coast,  on  the  lookout  for  a  conve- 
nient place  to  land.  Under  the  lee  of  the  shore  the 
wind  was  less  gusty,  and  I  was  not  sure  that  she  was 
not  now  gaining  upon  us.  Out  in  the  middle  of  the 
lake,  where  the  sea  was  heavy,  the  Raven  did  not  be- 
have so  well,  and  it  was  possible  that  the  robber  in- 
tended to  continue  the  cruise  under  the  lee  of  the 
shore. 

"Wolf,  he's  smart!"  ejaculated  Tom,  after  we  had 
followed  the  fellow  a  few  moments  un'der  the  lee  of 
the  rocks.     "  He's  gaining  on  us,  as  sure  as  you  live ! " 

"Do  you  think  so,  Tom?" 

"I  know  it." 

"Then  keep  her  away  a  little  more,  and  run  out 
into  the  lake,  where  you  will  get  the  full  force  of  the 
wind." 

"That's  the  idea!  I  was  just  thinking  of  doing 
that,"  replied  the  skipper,  as  he  followed  the  sugges- 
tion.    "  Let  her  slide !     I'd  give  two  and  sixpence  if  I 


148  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

only  had  a  gaff-topsail  to  help  her  along  a  little  more. 
I  always  intended  to  have  one  as  soon  as  I  bought 
her." 

"  It  wouldn't  help  her  much." 

"Yes,  it  would,  Wolf.  One  square  foot  of  sail  up 
by  the  topmast,  where  it  would  get  all  the  wind  there 
is  going,  is  worth  two  down  by  the  boom.  That's  so ! 
By  Jim  Hill,  Wolf,  that  fellow  knows  what  he  is 
about!" 

"  Of  course  he  does ! " 

"But  don't  you  see  what  he  is  up  to,  Wolf?" 

"  He  is  up  to  getting  away." 

"  Yes ;  but  he  is  not  going  on  shore  till  he  gets  be- 
yond the  place*  where  the  steamer  landed  those  men. 
That's  just  what  he  is  up  to  now.  He  saw  her  land 
them,  the  same  as  I  did." 

Doubtless  it  was  very  important  to  fathom  the  pur- 
pose of  the  robber ;  but,  as  it  was  soon  demonstrated, 
we  were  not  skilful  enough  to  do  so.  Tom  had  run 
the  Belle  out  into  the  lake  till  she  rolled  and  pitched 
heavily  in  the  sea.  In  doing  so  he  had  increased  the 
distance  between  her  and  the  Raven,  though,  half  a 
mile  ahead,  the  trend  of  the  coast  would  drive  the  lat- 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         149 

ter  out  so  as  to  compensate  for  the  loss,  if  she  contin- 
ued on  her  present  course.  While  we  were  comforting 
ourselves  with  the  prospect  of  this  advantage,  the  Ra- 
ven suddenly  hauled  her  wind,  and  ran  by  the  shortest 
line  for  the  shore. 

"  There  she  goes ! "  shouted  Tom,  grasping  the  main 
sheet  with  a  kind  of  desperation,  and  putting  down 
the  helm. 

"  That  fellow  knows  this  shore  as  well  as  I  do,"  I 
added,  as  Tom  headed  the  Belle  towards  the  chase. 
"  He  has  chosen  the  best  place  to  land  on  this  side  of 
the  lake." 

It  was  the  spot  where  the  steamer  had  landed  a  por- 
tion of  her  posse.  There  was  a  kind  of  gully  in  the 
precipice,  through  which  the  water  from  the  hills  made 
its  way  into  the  lake.  In  fact  it  was  the  outlet  of  a 
brook,  which  was  dry,  however,  except  in  the  wet  sea- 
son. A  boat  of  the  size  of  the  Belle  or  the  Raven 
could  run  into  the  inlet  about  her  length,  so  that  a 
person  could  step  over  her  side  upon  the  shelf  ,of  rock 
and  earth  beneath  the  precipice. 

The  cliff  was  hardly  fifty  feet  high  on  each  side  of 
the  indenture  in  the  rock,  and  it  was  rather  a  difficult 


150  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

task  to  climb  up  from  the  shelf,  though  a  bold  person 
could  do  it.  Twenty  rods  above  this  point,  however, 
there  was  an  easy  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  preci- 
pice by  a  zigzag  path  up  the  rocks.  If  the  robber  was 
acquainted  with  the  locality,  as  he  appeared  to  be,  he 
would  make  for  this  path.  His  boat  was  headed  to- 
wards this  landing-place,  and  we  watched  his  move- 
ments with  the  most  intense  interest.  As  it  was  proba- 
ble that  the  men  on  shore  had  not  stationed  themselves 
below  this  point,  I  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  to  my- 
self that  the  villain's  chances  of  escaping  were  better 
than  I  had  believed  at  any  time  before. 

It  was  possible  that  he  had  discovered  this  available 
landing-place  from  his  position  in  the  boat,  and  that 
he  was  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  the  zigzag  path. 
He  ran  the  Raven  into  the  outlet  of  the  brook,  low- 
ering the  jib  and  mainsail  as  he  approached  the  nar- 
row opening,  so  that  the  boat  lost  her  headway  in 
season  to  prevent  any  injury  to  her  hull  as  she 
grounded  in  the  shoal  water.  The  rascal  leaped 
lightly  on  shore,  with  a  travelling-bag  in  his  hand, 
which  I  had  no  doubt  contained  the  plunder  from 
the  bank.      He  paused  on  the  shelf  below  the   cliff, 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         151 

glanced  at  the  Belle,  and  then  at  the  precipice.  He 
did  not  appear  to  be  in  a  great  hurry,  and  examined 
the  means  of  ascent  to  the  land  above  with  deliberate 
care.  His  action  assured  me  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
path,  and  the  prospect  seemed  to  brighten. 

Tom  decided  to  land  at  a  point  below  the  gully, 
in  order  to  save  time,  and  to"  enable  us  to  choose  our 
own  means  of  approaching  the  robber.  I  lowered  the 
jib  and  mainsail,  and  Tom  ran  the  Belle  upon  an 
abrupt  gravel  beach,  about  twenty  rods  below  the 
gully.  We  landed,  and  hauled  the  boat  as  far  up  on 
the  shore  as  our  united  strength  would  permit.  I 
deemed  this  a  prudent  measure,  after  certain  expe- 
rience I  had  had  of  a  similar  nature.  Tom  took  from 
his  pocket  the  revolver  which  Wadclie  had  given  him, 
and  which  he  had  fully  charged  with  patent  cartridges 
on'his  cruise  up  the  lake,  and  we  hastened  to  the  gully. 

The  robber  was  climbing  the  cliff,  and  had  already 
nearly  accomplished  the  ascent.  The  rocks  at  the  side 
of  the  ravine  had  crumbled  away  so  that  the  first  part 
of  the  way  was  comparatively  easy.  At  the  top  grew 
some  bushes  on  the  verge  of  the  cliff.  He  had  reached 
one  of  these,  and  had  thrown  his  left  arm  around  one 


152  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 


of  them.  He  had  evidently  caught  hold  of  a  root  of 
this  bush,  which  projected  over  the  cliff,  and  hauled 
himself  up  by  main  strength  to  his  present  position, 
where  he  seemed  to  be  resting  after  his  violent  exer- 
tions. He  had  swung  his  travelling-bag  over  his 
shoulder  with  a  string. 

"Shall  I  fire?"  said  Tom,  producing  his  pistol. 

"No.  We  don't  want  to  kill  him,"  I  replied,  ap- 
palled at  the  idea  of  taking  the  life  even  of  a  robber. 

Tom  seemed  to  be  of  my  mind,  and  rushed  towards 
the  cliff.  I  followed  him.  He  easily  accomplished 
the  greater  part  of  the  ascent,  and  was  almost  within 
reach  of  the  dangling  legs  of  the  robber,  when  the 
villain  aimed  a  revolver  at  him,  and  fired.  Tom 
released  his  hold  upon  the  rocks,  and  would  have 
fallen  over  backwards  if  I  had  not  caught  him  in 
my  arms. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.        153 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


TOM   WALTON   WOUNDED. 


I  WAS  appalled  at  the  calamity  which  had  be- 
fallen Tom  Walton,  and  deplored  the  want  of 
caution  with  which  we  had  conducted  the  enterprise. 
Of  course  we  understood  that  the  bank  robber  was 
armed,  and  the  fact  occurred  to  me  as  we  approached 
the  gully ;  but  when  I  saw  him  suspended  by  the 
arms  to  the  bush  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  I 
did  not  consider  him  in  condition  to  use  a  revolver. 
I  am  as  much  afraid  of  a  pistol  as  any  other  pru- 
dent person,  and  I  do  not,  as  a  general  rule,  think  it 
advisable  to  stand  before  the  muzzle  of  such  a  weapon 
when  it  is  loaded,  and  in  the  "hands  of  a  desperate 
man. 

If  I  had  been  called  upon  to  express  an  opinion,  I 
should  have  said  that  it  was  simply  impossible  for  the 
robber  to  use  his  weapon.     Tom  and  I  expected  to 


154  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

overtake  him  before  he  could  get  over  the  brink  of 
the  precipice,  seize  him  by  the  heels,  and  drag  him 
down  from  his  perch.  When  he  came  down,  I  in- 
tended to  throw  myself  upon  him,  and  choke  him  till 
he  was  willing  to  hold  still  and  have  his  arms  tied 
behind  him  with  the  cord  by  which  he  had  slung  the 
travelling-bag  over  his  shoulder.  I  could  not  see  how 
this  nice  little  plan  was  to  fail,  and  we  began  to  ascend 
the  precipice.  I  felt  reasonably  sure. that  we  should 
make  a  victim  of  the  villain. 

I  was  not  only  appalled,  but  astounded,  when  Tom 
came  over  upon  me.  It  was  disaster  and  defeat  at  the 
same  time,  and  at  that  moment  I  only  hoped  the  rob- 
ber would  not  take  the  trouble  to  fire  again.  He  did 
not,  being  apparently  satisfied  with  the  mischief  he 
had  done.  I  was  afraid  Tom  had  received  a  mortal 
Wound,  and  I  thought  of  nothing  but  him.  I  was 
standing  on  the  gradual  ascent  of  the  steej:>,  where  the 
earth  and  rocks  had  caved  down  from  above,  so  that  I 
had  a  good  foothold,  and  was  fortunately  able  to  save 
my  friend  from  going  over  backwards.  I  held  on  to 
him,  and  retreated  to  the  level  ground  below. 

"  Good  Heaven,  Tom  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  The  villain 
has  hit  you." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP  LAKE    TTCAYGA.         155 

"Never  mind  it,  Wolf.  Don't  make  a  row.  It 
isn't  bad,"  he  replied,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  as  he 
placed  his  right  hand  on  his  left  arm  above  the 
elbow. 

"Where  did  it  hit  you?"  I  asked,  with  the  most 
intense  anxiety. 

"Here,"  he  answered,  indicating  the  place  on  his 
left  arm. 

"I  was  afraid  it  had  gone  through  your  body." 

"  No ;  but  it  took  all  the  starch  out  of  my  arm,  so 
that  I  could  not  hold  on  to  the  rock  —  that's  all." 

I  heard  a  scrambling  above,  and  looking  up,  I  saw 
the  robber  drag  himself  over  the  brink  of  the  cliff.  It 
required  a  tremendous  muscular  effort  for  him  to  ac- 
complish the  act.  Without  asking  my  advice  this 
time,  Tom  raised  his  pistol  and  fired ;  but  only  the 
legs  of  the  rascal  were  visible,  and  these  immediately 
disappeared,  so  that  I  concluded  he  was  not  hit. 

"I  ought  to  have  fired  in  the  first  of  it,"  said  Tom, 
as  he  restored  the  weapon  to  his  pocket. 

"  I  am  sorry  now  that  you  did  not ;  but  I  did  not 
exactly  like  the  idea  of  killing  the  man,"  I  replied. 
"  But  how  is  your  arm  ?  " 


156  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"That  will  do  very  well.  It  is  bleeding  a  good 
deal,  and  don't  feel  first  rate.  But  come;  let's  fol- 
low that  fellow.  I  want  to  put  one  of  these  little 
pills  into  him." 

"  No ;  let  me  bind  up  your  arm  first,"  I  insisted. 
14  It  may  stop  the  bleeding.  Take  off  your  coat,  and 
let  me  see  what  it  is." 

"  But  the  robber  will  get  away  while  we  are  fool- 
ing here." 

"No  matter  if  he  does.  You  may  lose  your  arm 
if  we  neglect  the  wound.     Off  with  your  coat." 

It  was  not  so  easy  for  him  to  take  off  his  coat, 
but  with  my  assistance  it  was  removed  with  some 
difficulty.  I  found  that  the  bullet  from  the  pistol  had 
ploughed  a  wound  diagonally  along  the  fleshy  part 
on  the  inner  side  of  the  arm.  It  must  have  passed 
very  near  his  body,  and  I  regarded  it  as  a  narrow 
escape  from  a  mortal  injury.  I  tore  off  a  piece  of 
his  shirt,  and  scraped  some  lint  from  it,  which  I  placed 
upon  the  wound  in  order  to  stanch  the  bleeding,  and 
then  bound  my  handkerchief  around  it. 

"  That's  it,  Wolf.  You  were  cut  out  for  a  doctor. 
It  feels  first  rate  now,"  said  he  ;  but  his  face  was  paler 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF   LAE3]    UCAYGA.         157 

than  usual,  and  I  saw  that  he  was  suffering  much  pain. 
"  Come  now  ;  let's  see  where  that  fellow  has  gone." 

"I'm  afraid  you  are  not  in  condition  to  chase  a 
robber,  Tom." 

"Yes,  I  am.  I'll  follow  him  to  the  other  side  of 
sundown,"  he  replied,  leading  the  way  to  the  zigzag 
path.  "  I  don't  want  to  kill  him  ;  but,  if  one  of  these 
bullets  will  travel  faster  than  I  can,  he  shall  have  the 
benefit  of  it.     Come  on,  Wolf." 

Tom  certainly  had  pluck  enough  —  more  than  I 
should  have  had  with  such  an  ugly  wound  in  my 
arm.  I  followed  him  up  the  path,  and  we  soon  reached 
the  high  ground  above  the  lake. 

"  Now  don't  be  rash,  Tom,"  said  I,  placing  myself 
ahead  of  him.  "That  fellow  has  at  least  five  more 
balls  in  his  revolver,  and  if  we  get  shot,  we  can't  do 
any  good." 

"My  pistol  will  carry  as  far  as  his,  I  reckon,  and  it 
is  a  poor  rule  that  won't  work  both  ways.  If  I  see  him 
again,  I  shall  give  him  some,"  replied  Tom. 

"  Don't  you  feel  weak,  Tom  ?  " 

"  No,  not  much  ;  at  any  rate,  I'm  good  for  ten  miles. 
Do  you  see  anything  of  the  villain  ?  " 


158  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"  Not  a  thing.  We  will  go  over  to  the  other  side 
of  the  gully,  and  we  may  be  able  to  trace  him." 

We  hastened  to  the  place  indicated.  On  the  brink 
of  the  precipice  the  ground  was  considerably  stirred 
up  by  the  violence  of  the  robber's  struggle  to  attain* 
the  summit  of  the  cliff;  but  we  could  find  no  other 
trace  of  him.  The  region  above  the  lake  was  a  pas- 
ture, and  the  short  grass  afforded  no  impress  of  his 
footsteps.  The  country  was  wild  and  rugged,  with 
plenty  of  bushes  and  trees  to  afford  concealment  to 
the  robber.  Between  us  and  Gulfport  there  was  a 
wood. 

"  We  are  not  much  wiser  now  we  are  up  here," 
said  Tom.     "What  shall  we  do?" 

"I  think  we  had  better  move  towards  the  Gulf- 
port  road.  We  can  find  some  of  our  people  there, 
and  notify  them  that  the  robber,  has   landed  here." 

"That  fellow's  smart,  and  in  my  opinion  he  will 
be  on  the  lookout  for  our  people,"  added  Tom,  as 
we  moved  towards  the  road.  "  He'll  work  up  to- 
wards Port  Gunga,  because  he  will  think  the  men 
are  in  the  other  direction.  We  shall  do  better  if  we 
divide;  you  go  up  to  the  road,  and  I  will  follow 
up  the  shore." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF  LAKE    UCAYGA.         159 

"  I  don't  believe  in  separating.  What  could  either 
of  us  do  alone,  if  one  of  us  should  happen  to  see 
him  ?  "  I  replied,  not  wishing  to  leave  Tom  in  his^ 
wounded  condition,  though  his  plan  was  certainly 
the  better  one. 

"One  of  us  could  follow  him  and  keep  the  run 
of  him  just  as  well  as  two.  There  isn't  any  need 
of  looking  into  his  pistol  barrels,  you  know." 

"I'll  change  your  plan  a  little,  and  then  we  will 
adopt  it.  You  shall  walk  towards  the  road,  and 
tell  our  people  the  robber  has  landed,  and  I  will 
go  up  the  lake." 

"It's  all  the  same  to  me;  but,  if  you  are  going 
that  way,  you  shall  take  this  pistol,"  replied  Tom, 
handing  me  the  weapon.  "Don't  be  afraid  to  use 
it,  Wolf,  if  you  get  a  chance.  You  are  a  little  too 
tender-hearted  for  this  kind  of  business." 

"I  will  use  it,  if  I  get  a  chance  to  stop  him  in 
that  way,"  I  answered,  as  I  took  the  pistol. 

We  separated,  and  I  pursued  my  way  in  the  di- 
rection of  Port  Gunga,  which  was  about  five  miles 
distant.  Tom  walked  due  east  towards  the  road, 
where  I  expected  he  would  meet  some  of  the  posse* 


160  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

who  had  been  landed  to  intercept  the  robber.  He 
soon  disappeared  among  the  bushes  and  trees.  But 
he  was  hardly  out  of  sight  before  he  called  to  me. 
I  halted,  and  presently  I  saw  him  and  Mr.  Bradshaw, 
a  deputy  sheriff,  who  had  taken  charge  of  the  posse 
which  had  come  up  in  the  steamer. 

"Have  you  seen  anything  of  him?"  asked  the 
sheriff,  as  we  met  near  the  gully. 

"Not  since  he  climbed  up  the  cliff,"  I  replied. 

"You  ou^ht  to  have  fired  at  him  the  moment 
you  saw  him,"  added  the  officer.  "You  mustn't 
mince  matters  with  such  fellows.  It  is  better  to 
shoot  him  than  to  be  shot  by  him." 

"  We  did  the  best  we  knew  how,"  interposed  Tom. 

"  Of  course  you  did.  However,  we  are  pretty  sure 
of  him,  for  I  have  sent  our  folks  up  the  Port  Gun- 
ga  road,  and  they  are  certain  to  head  him  off.  I 
wouldn't  give  two  cents  for  his  chances,"  continued 
Mr.  Bradshaw,  confidently. 

"Well,  what  shall  we  do?"  demanded  Tom,  im- 
patiently. 

"As  you  are  hurt,  you  had  better  take  your  boat 
arid  go  home,"  added  the  officer. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.         161 

*  Not  I,"  protested  the  plucky  skipper.  "  I'm  going 
to  stay  to  see  the  fun,  and  help  bag   the  game." 

"Just  as  you  like,  but  you  must  look  out  for 
your  arm." 

!  "I'm  all  right.    Wolf  fixed   my  arm   as   good  as 
a  doctor  could." 

"  Well,  we  will  follow  up  towards  Port  Gunga, 
and  see  that  the  robber  does  not  take  the  back 
track  when  he  finds  our  folks  in  front  of  him,"  said 
the  sheriff,  as  we  started  in  the  direction  indicated. 
"I  waited  on  the  bluff  here  till  I  saw  where  the 
rascal  was  going  to  land,  and  then  I  stationed  my 
men  where  they  could  trip  him  up." 

"Why  didn't  you  bring  them  up  to  the  cliff,  and 
head  him  off  when  he  landed?"  I  inquired,  disposed 
to  be  critical  in  my  turn. 

"Why  didn't  I?  Because  our  people  were  more 
than  a  mile  from  here,"  replied  the  sheriff.  "  You  see 
we  expected  he  would  land  half  a  mile  farther  down 
the  lake.  I  had  to  go  and  tell  them  where  to  look 
for  him ;  and  though  I  have  been  in  a  hurry,  I  have 
but  just  returned." 
11 


162  BEAK   AND   FORBEAR,   OB 

"If  you  had  been  on  the  cliff  when  the  fellow 
landed,  you  could  have  fixed   him,"  I  added. 

"But  I  didn't  know  what  he  was  going  to  do  till 
he  did  it." 

"You  did  the  best  thing  you  knew  how"  said 
Tom. 

"Of  course  I  did." 

"That's  just  what  we  did;  and  I  don't  think  it 
pays  to  tell  what  might  have  been  done,"  continued 
Tom,  who  was  always  disposed  to  take  things  as  he 
found  them,  and  blame  no  one  for  what  could  not  be 
helped. 

"It  will  all  come  out  right.  We  are  sure  of 
him,"  said  the  sheriff.  "But  I  think  we  had  better 
spread  out  a  little.  You  take  the  shore  of  the  lake, 
Wolf;  you  go  to  the  left,  Tom;  and  I  will  take  a 
course  between  you.  If  either  of  you  see  him,  sing 
out." 

This  was  good  policy,  and  it  was  promptly  adopted. 
I  walked  over  to  the  cliff  by  the  lake,  and,  follow- 
ing the  shore,  I  soon  reached  a  high  point  of  land, 
which  commanded  a  view  for  a  considerable  distance. 
I   halted   to   take   a   careful    survey   of  the   region, 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         163 

hoping  I  might  discover  the  fugitive;  but  I  could 
see  nothing.  There  was  a  tall  tree  on  the  top  of 
the  hill,  which  I  climbed  in  order  to  obtain  a  still 
better  view.  I  could  see  Tom  and  the  sheriff,  but 
no  one  else.  I  began  to  fear  that  the  robber  un- 
derstood the  situation  better  than  we  supposed,  and 
had  adopted  some  plan  which  had  not  been  antici- 
pated by  any  of  us.  So  far,  I  surveyed  only  the 
region  which  the  fugitive  was  expected  to  traverse. 
Before  descending  the  tree,  I  turned  my  gaze  in  the 
direction  we  had  just  come. 

I  saw   the   robber,  and   called  with   all  my  might 
to  Tom  and  the  sheriff. 


164  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   ROBBER   TAKES   THE   BACK   TRACK. 

WAS  never  more  vexed  and  disconcerted  in  my 
life  than  when,  from  the  tall  tree  on  the  hill,  I 
discovered  the  robber.  I  think  the  tones  in  which  I 
yelled  to  Tom  and  the  sheriff  betrayed  the  disgust  I 
felt  at  the  unsatisfactory  situation.  The  officer's  con- 
fident prediction  was  set  at  nought,  for  the  robber 
had  evidently  not  gone  fifty  rods  from  the  point 
where  he  landed  and  climbed  the  cliff.  As  Tom 
had*"  so  often  suggested,  the  fellow  was  smart,  and 
knew  what  he  was  about. 

When  I  saw  the  robber,  he  was  on  the  shelf  be- 
low the  cliff  where  he  had  landed,  in  the  very  act 
of  hoisting  the  mainsail  on  board  of  the  Raven.  He 
worked  rapidly,  yet  with  a  kind  of  deliberation  and 
care  which  required  nothing  to  be  done  over  a  second 
time.    His  object  in  landing  may  have  been  simply 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OP   LAKE  UCAYGA.         165 

to  get  rid  of  his  pursuers  on  the  lake,  though  it  was 
possible  he  had  ascertained  the  impracticability  of  es- 
caping in  the  direction  he  had  apparently  chosen. 
But  his  operations  looked  to  me  just  like  a  flank 
movement.  He  had  seen  the  steamer  land  a  force, 
and  then  depart  down  the  lake.  Being  closely  pur- 
sued by  the  Belle,  he  had  landed  to  balk  Tom  and 
me ;  and  now,  having  sent  all  his  pursuers  on  shore, 
he  had  them  just  where  he  wanted  them.  He  could 
now  cross  the  lake  in  the  Raven,  and  make  his 
escape  on  the  other  side.  It  looked  to  me  just  as 
though  we  had  lost  him,  and  I  did  not  believe  the 
money  in  the  rogue's  travelling-bag  would  be  used 
that  day  to  pay  the  colonel's  note. 

The  robber  hoisted  the  mainsail,  and  then  the  jib, 
of  the  Raven.  Then,  with  a  sinking  of  the  heart 
I  saw  him  hasten  towards  the  place  where  the  Belle 
lay.  I  understood  his  purpose,  and  I  trembled  for 
Tom's  boat.  Of  course  he  foresaw  that  it  would  be 
used  to  pursue  him,  and  he  intended  to  set  her  adrift, 
or  disable  her  so  that  she  would  not  be  available 
for  use  against  him.  I  saw  him  put  his  shoulder  to 
her  stem,  and  attempt  to  push  her  off.    I  concluded 


166  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

from  this  that  he  intended  to  tow  the  Belle  out  into 
the  middle  of  the  lake,  and  leave  her  there,  or  pos- 
sibly scuttle  her. 

He  made  a  desperate  effort  to  shove  her  off  the 
ground,  but  without  success.  Tom  and  I  had  hauled 
her  nearly  out  of  the  water,  and  she  was  too  heavy 
to  be  launched  again  by  one  person.  I  fancied  that 
the  fellow  swore  some  in  his  disappointment,  and  I 
congratulated  myself  upon  the  happy  thought  which 
had  induced  me  to  haul  her  so  far  out  of  the  water. 
I  wondered  what  the  fellow  would  do  next,  for  I 
could  not  believe  he  would  leave  while  the  Belle 
was  in  condition  to  pursue  him.  I  was  curious  to 
know  what  he  would  do  next;  but  I  was  already 
blaming  myself  for  staying  so  long  in  the  tree,  and 
I  descended.  Before  Tom  and  the  sheriff  could  reach 
me,  I  was  running  with  all  my  might  towards  the 
zigzag  path. 

I  soon  reached  a  point  where  I  could  see  the  oper- 
ations of  the  robber  again,  which  had  been  hidden 
from  me  after  I  descended  the  tree.  He  was  running 
from  the  Belle  to  the  Raven.  In  his  hand  he  car- 
ried  the  travelling-bag,   which  he   appeared    not   to 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE  TJCAYGA.         167 

leave  behind  him  for  a  single  instant.  But  then,  to 
my  intense  mortification,  if  not  horror,  I  saw  a  dense 
smoke  rising  from  the  cuddy  of  the  Belle. 

The  villain  had  set  her  on  fire !' 

Tom  kept  a  supply  of  shavings  and  light  kindlings 
in  the  cook-room,  and  there  was  a  tin  match-box 
attached  to  the  mast.  The  scoundrel  had  found 
everything  convenient  for  the  execution  of  his  vile 
scheme,  and  the  beautiful  Belle  was  in  imminent 
peril  of  being  totally  destroyed.  I  had  reached  the 
head  of  the  zigzag  path  when  I  discovered  the  fir^ 
and  I  was  hopeful  that  I  might  be  in  season  to  ex* 
tinguish  it  before  the  boat  was  entirely  disabled. 
The  robber  leaped  into  the  Raven,  and  pushed  off 
with  a  celerity  which  seemed  to  insure  his  safety. 

I  rushed  down  the  steep  path  to  the  shelf  below. 
I  wanted  to  do  some  desperate  thing,  for  I  was  so 
vexed  I  could  hardly  contain  myself.  I  had  the 
revolver  which  Tom  had  given  me  in  my  hand,  and 
I  discharged  it  at  the  rascal  in  the  Raven ;  but  I 
might,  as  well  have  fired  at  the  moon,  for  the  pistol 
would  not  carry  half  the  distance.  The  robber  took 
ho  notice  of  me,   and   did  not  even   condescend  to 


168  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

return  ray  shot.  He  let  out  his  sheet,  and  the  Raven 
went  off  flying,  with  the  fresh  breeze  nearly  aft,  and 
by  the  time  I  reached  the  gully,  he  was  forty  rods 
from  the  shore. 

Though  I  had  nearly  exhausted  my  breath  in  run- 
ning, I  did  not  abate  my  speed  till  I  reached  the 
Belle.  I  leaped  on  board,  and  seized  the  bucket 
which  was  under  one  of  the  seats.  I  dashed  several 
pailfuls  of  water  into  the  cuddy,  which  put  a  quietus 
on  the  fire.  The  robber  had  simply  lighted  the 
shavings  in  the  box  which  had  been  built  in  the  head. 
Hardly  more  than  two  minutes  had  elapsed  from 
the  time  the  fire  was  set  till  I  reached  the  Belle, 
The  combustibles  in  the  wood-box  blazed  furious* 
ly;  but  the  fire  was  confined  principally  to  thern^ 
though  I  found  the  ceiling  and  the  under  side  of 
the  deck  planks  were  charred.  With  a  bucket  of 
water  and  a  dipper,  I  put  out  every  spark  of  fire. 

I  could  not  push  the  boat  off  alone,  but  I  hoisted 
the  sails,  so  that  she  would  be  ready  to  start  as  soon 
as  Tom  and  the  sheriff  arrived.  By  the  time  they 
were  coming  down  the  path,  I  had  rigged  the  pump, 
in  order  to  remove  the  water  I  had  thrown  into  her 
in  putting  out  the  fire,  as  soon  as  she  was  under  way. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.         169 

«  Take  hold  here,  Mr.  Bradshaw ! "  I  shouted,  when 
the  sheriff  and  Tom  came  within  hail  of  me. 

The  official  was  puffing  like  a  grampus,  and  he 
looked  as  thoroughly  disgusted  as'  a  deputy  sheriff 
could  be.  He  put  his  shoulder  to  the  bow  of  the 
Belle,  and  we  shoved  her  off  into  the  lake.  Tom 
sprang  on  board,  and  took  his  accustomed  seat  at 
the  helm.  The  officer  was  placed  on  the  port  side, 
and  I  took  position  at  the  pump  which  I  had  rigged 
for  use,  after  I  had  shoved  the  boat  clear  of  the  shore. 
She  filled  away,  and  we  started  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  behind  the  Raven.  If  there  was  any  difference 
at  all  in  the  wind,  it  was  stronger  than  it  had  been 
earlier  in  the  morning,  and  this  fact  improved  our 
chances. 

I  had  made  fast  the  sheets,  so  that  for  the  present 
Tom  had  nothing  to  do  but  steer.  He  said  nothing 
about  his  wound,  but  I  could  see  that  it  gave  him 
much  pain,  and  I  hoped  I  should  be  able  to  induce 
him  to  abandon  the  pursuit  when  we  reached  the 
other  side  of  the  lake,  if  the  robber  led  us  in  that 
direction. 

"This  is  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish,"  said  the  sheriff, 
as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  his  wind. 


170  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"I  told  you  that  fellow  was  smart,"  replied  Tom, 
with  his  gaze  fixed  steadfastly  on  the  Raven. 

"How  in  the  world  did  he  get  back  here  without 
our  seeing  him  ?  " 

"We  did  not  look  where  he  was." 

"Where  did  you  first  see  him,  Wolf?"  asked  the 
officer. 

"He  was  on  the  shore  here,  getting  the  Raven 
ready  to  be  off.  I  shouldn't  have  seen  him  if  I 
hadn't  climbed  a  tree." 

"It  was  lucky  you  thought  of  that.  But  where 
was  the  fellow  while  we  were  beyond  the  cliff? " 

"In  my  opinion  he  has  not  been  fifty  rods  from 
the  place  where  he  landed,"  I  replied.  "  There  are 
plenty  of  places  among  the  rocks  where  he  could 
hide.  I  think  it  is  very  likely  he  concealed  himself 
in  the  gully,  and  as  soon  as  he  found  we  were  at  a 
safe  distance  from  him,  he  concluded  to  cross  the 
lake,  where  there  is  no  one  to  pursue  him." 

"He's  smart,"  repeated  Tom.  "That  will  do, 
Wolf;  don't  pump  any  more.  You  keep  her  wab- 
bling so  that  she  don't  do  her  best." 

"  Let  me  take  the  helm,  Tom,"  I  suggested.  "  I'm 
afraid  you  will  make  your  arm  worse." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OE   LAKE    TTCAYGA.         171 

"No,  I  thank  you.  I  can  get  as  much  out  of  the 
Belle  as  anybody  else ;  but  you  may  stand  by  the 
sheets,  if  you  like,  for  I  can't  use  my  left  arm  very 
well." 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Tom,"  I  answered,  taking  a  seat 
by  his  side,  where  I  could  reach  the  sheets. 

"Now  keep  still,  and  don't  move  one  of  your 
little  fingers,"  said  Tom.  "  I'll  give  him  some.  If 
I  don't,  the  Belle  isn't  a  lady.  Let  out  that  jib-sheet 
about  an  inch  and  a  half,  Wolf." 

"All  right,"  I  replied,  obeying  the  order.  "You 
are  putting  a  fine  point  upon  it,  Tom." 

"  I  must  have  her  just  so  when  she  does  her  best. 
Mr.  Bradshaw,  will  you  move  forward  about  six 
inches  ?  That's  it ;  now  she  is  just  as  I  want  her. 
Don't  she  spin  !  "  exclaimed  Tom. 

"  She  is  doing  first  rate,  and  so  is  the  Raven." 

"  Wait  a  bit  till  she  gets  out  a  little  farther.  She 
will  have  to  duck  under  when  she  gets  the  full 
weight  of  the  breeze.  By  the  way,  Wolf,  is  she 
burned  much  in  forward?     I  didn't  stop  to  look  in." 

"Very  little.  I  think  you  can  make  her  as  good 
as  new  in  half  an  hour,"  I  answered.     "The   robber 


172  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

spent  some  time  trying  to  shove  her  off,  before  lie 
thought  of  setting  her  on  fire.  I  was  just  at  the 
path  when  I  saw  the  fire.  It  had  not  been  burning 
more  than  two  minutes  when  I  threw  on  the  first 
bucket  of  water." 

"Now  she  is  getting  it  savage,"  said  Tom,  as  the 
wind  drove  the  Raven  down  to  her  gunwale  in  the 
waves.  "  See  that !  He  had  to  luff  her  up.  He 
lost  a  little  on  that." 

Both  boats  had  the  wind  on  the  quarter,  and  the 
Haven  was  leading  the  way  directly  across  the  lake 
to  High  Bluff,  just  below  Priam.  She  was  jumping 
up  and  down  on  the  waves  like  a  feather,  and  it 
was  evident  enough  that  she  could  not  carry  all  sail. 
Her  skipper  had  been  obliged  to  luff  her  up  so  as 
to  spill  the  mainsail,  and  then  we  saw  that  he  had 
let  his  jib-sheet  run  out  so  that  the  head  sail  did  not 
draw.  As  soon  as  the  flaw  had  spent  itself,  he  kept 
her  away  again,  with  the  jib  still  shaking. 

"It  was  a  great  mistake  that  the  steamer  went 
back,"  said  the  sheriff.  "If  we  only  had  her  here, 
she  would  make  short  work  of  that  boat." 

"Don't  say  anything  more  about  mistakes,  Mr. 
Bradshaw,"  replied  Tom. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         173 

"Well,  I  think  it  was  a  mistake  to  let  her  re- 
turn," persisted  the  officer. 

"If  that  steamer  had  been  out  here,  the  robber 
would  have  taken  some  other  course.  We  have  all 
made  mistakes  enough,  but  we  have  done  the  best 
we  could,  and  it's  no  use  for  the  pot  to  call  the 
kettle  black." 

"Do  you  see  what  that  fellow  is  up  to  now?"  I 
interposed. 

"I  think  I  do,"  replied  Tom.  "He  sees  the  gully 
on  the  upper  side  of  High  Bluff,  and,  if  I  mistake 
not,  he  is  going  to  run  in  there." 

"If  he  does,  that  will  be  his  last  blunder,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"Why  so?"  inquired  the  sheriff,  who  was  not  fa- 
miliar with  the  locality. 

"  He  can  run  his  boat  into  the  gully  on  either 
side  of  the  bluff;  but  he  can  no  more  climb  up  to 
the  high  land  above  than  he  can  shin  up  a  rain- 
bow," said  Tom.  "I  only  hope  he  will  run  in 
there." 

"He  may  find  a  way  to  get  out  of  the  gully,"  I 
suggested. 


174  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"He  can't  do  it.  It  isn't  in  the  power  of  man 
to  get  up." 

"But  you  know  there  is  a  crooked  path  to  the 
top." 

"  That's  very  true ;  but  the  path  is  just  on  the 
side  of  the  lake,  and  you  can't  reach  it  from  the 
gully  on  either  side.  If  he  strikes  the  middle  of 
High  Bluff  on  the  lake  side,  he  can  go  up.  If  he 
runs  into  the  gully,  he  can't,"    answered  Tom. 

The  Raven  was  running  directly  towards  High 
Bluff.  If  he  did  not  know  of  the  path  to  its  sum- 
mit, he  would  not  be  likely  to  suspect  its  existeuce 
from  anything  he  could  see ;  and  we  waited,  with 
intense  anxiety,  to  ascertain  what  course  he  intended 
to  take. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPEE   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         175 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   EOBBEE  IN   A   TEAP. 

IN  a  short  time  we  were  satisfied  that  the  robber 
intended  to  run  the  Raven  into  the  gully  on 
the  upper  side  of  High  Bluff.  Certainly  no  more 
inviting  prospect  could  have  been  desired  by  a  man 
in  his  situation ;  for  the  entrance  was  broad  and  free 
from  peril,  promising  a  good  landing-place  to  the 
voyager,  as,  indeed,  there  was,  though  his  troubles 
would  commence  after  he  left  his  boat.  Tom  had 
explored  the  locality  thoroughly,  and  was  sure  that 
the  man  could  not  get  out  of  the  gully. 

The  battle  between  the  friends  of  Tommy  Top- 
pleton  and  the  rebels  had  been  fought  at  High 
Bluff,  as  detailed  by  my  friend  Ned  Skotchley,  and 
the  tradition  among  the  students  was,  that  the  gully 
was  impassable  except  by  the  bridge,  and  that  its 
ides  were   absolutely  perpendicular.    If  the   robber 


176  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

would  favor  us  by  running  into  this  trap,  we  felt 
reasonably  certain  that  we  should  be  able  to  bag 
the  game,  although  I  could  not  help  dreading  his 
pistol,  when  we  drove  him  into  close  quarters.  I 
did  not  wish  to  be  shot  myself,  and  I  was  equally 
averse  to  having  so  good  a  fellow  as  Tom  Walton 
shot  again. 

"  There  he  goes  into  the  south  gully ! "  exclaimed 
Tom,  as  the  Raven  passed  clear  of  the  foot  of  the 
path  to  the  summit  of  the  bluff.  "We  have  him 
now." 

"Not  quite,"  I  suggested. 

"  I  am  sure  a  man  can't  climb  up  the  side  of  the 
gully,"  protested  Tom. 

"That  fellow  has  a  bag  full  of  tools,  which  he 
used  in  breaking  into  the  bank." 

"What  good  will  tools  do  him?"  demanded  Tom. 
"  Will  they  help  him  shin  up  a  rock  ?" 

"  Perhaps  they  will.  I  think,  if  I  had  his  traps, 
I  could  get  out  of  the  gully ;  and  I  don't  believe 
in  trusting  anything  to  luck  this  time.  We  must 
try  and  be  as  smart  as  that  fellow  is,  and  make  no 
mistakes." 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.         177 

"I  don't  see  how  he  could  get  out  of  that  pl^ce, , 
even   if  he   had   a   whole   chest   of  tools,"   persisted 
Tom.     "He  can  only  come  out  the  way  he  went  in. 
That  is  the  only  way  I  could  ever  get  out  of  that 
hole." 

"The  robber  had  a  long  cord,  with  which  he 
slung  his  bag  over  his  shoulder.  He  used  only  one 
end  of  it,  and.  it  may  be  fifty  feet  long,  for  aught  I 
know.  There  are  plenty  of  stout  bushes,  no  doubt, 
hanging  over  the  hole." 

"  That's   so ;    and   the    tree   that    Briscoe's   fellows 
crossed  upon  still  lies  across  the  gully." 
.  "Exactly  so.     And  how  deep  is   the   gully  under 
this  tree?" 

"Twenty  or  twenty-five  feet,  I  should  say." 

"  Then  he  can  tie  a  stone  to  the  end  of  his  cord, 
throw  it  over  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  let  it  come 
down  on  the  other  side.  That's  easy  enough  — 
isn't  it?" 

"I  should  say  it  was,"  replied  Tom,  fully  compre- 
hending my  suggestion. 

"Then,   if   he    can't    go   up   the   cord    hand   over 
hand,  he  can  fix  some  sticks  in  the  line,  and  go  up 
12 


178  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

comfortably.  But  very  likely  the  fellow  has  a  rope- 
ladder  in  his  bag." 

"I  guess  he  wouldn't  stop  to  put  any  rounds  in 
his  ladder,"  laughed  Tom. 

"He  has  chisels  and  such  things  in  his  bag,  at 
any  rate.  He  could  stick  these  into  the  chinks  of 
the  rocks,  and  go  up  on  them  without  much  trouble, 
and  without  much  loss  of  time.  Ho,  Tom ;  we  must 
be  ready  to  head  him  off  when  he  tries  to  get  out 
of  the  gully." 

"  Yes ;  but  if  we  leave  the  boat,  he  will  serve  us 
the  same  trick  he  did  on  the  other  side,"  said  Tom. 

"  We  will  make  no  mistakes  this  time.  Hun  for 
the  foot  of  the  path,  Tom.     Shall  I  take  in  the  jib?" 

"  Yes,  take  it  in,  Wolf,"  replied  Tom,  for  we  were 
within  a  few  rods  of  High  Bluff. 

I  lowered  the  jib,  and  made  everything  snug 
forward. 

"Now  let  go  the  mainsail-halyards,"  added  the 
skipper ;  for,  as  the  wind  was  blowing  directly  on 
shore,  we  were  obliged  to  take  in  all  sail. 

I  took  the  boat-hook,  and  fended  off  as  the  Belle 
grounded  on  the  beach. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         179 

"  Now  what's  to  be  clone  ? "  demanded  Tom, 
nervously. 

"Let  Mr.  Bradshaw  go  on  the  bluff,"  I  continued. 

"What,  alone?"  asked  the  sheriff. 

"Why  not?  I  am  willing  to  go  alone,"  I  replied. 
"  You  will  have  all  the  advantage  of  the  robber.  If 
he  attempts  to  climb  up,  you  can  knock  him,  even 
without  being  seen  yourself.  All  you  have  to  do  is 
to  keep  yourself  in  a  safe  position,  and  watch  him." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  inquired  the  offi- 
cer, apparently  not  very  well  satisfied  with  the  ar- 
rangement. "Do  you  mean  to  make  me  fight  it  out 
alone  ?  " 

"  Just  as  soon  as  the  robber  leaves  the  Raven, 
we  are  going  to  drag  her  out  of  the  gully,  and  put 
her  where  he  can't  get  at  her  again.  That's  the 
idea,  and  we  have  the  worst  part  of  the  work 
to   do." 

"  It  won't  take  both  of  you  to  do  that." 

"  Tom  has  but  one  arm  to  help  himse1!"  with,  and 
can't  do  this  job  alone.  If  you  are  afraid  to  go 
upon  the  bluff,  I  will  go,  and  you  may  help  Tom 
take  the  Raven,"  I  replied. 


180  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

u  Afraid !     I  am  not  afraid." 

"Then  hurry  up,  or  the  fellow  will  get  out  before 
you  are  in  position  to  do  anything." 

"  Which  way  do  I  go  ?  "  said  he,  stepping  on  shore. 

"Follow  the  path,  and  when  you  are  on  the  bluff, 
move  to  the  gully  on  the  left,  and  then  continue 
till  you  can  see  or  hear  the  fellow,"  I  replied,  hoist- 
ing the  mainsail  of  the  Belle  again.  "  You  can't  go 
wrong,  and  you  will  be  as  safe  as  though  you  were 
at  the  other  end  of  the  lake." 

"  I  think  a  man  who  talks  as  big  as  he  does  ought 
to  have  a  little  more  pluck,"  said  Tom,  as  the  sheriff 
disappeared  in  the  windings  of  the  steep  path. 

"I  don't  blame  him  much.  It  isn't  pleasant  to  be 
shot." 

"  I  don't  think  it  is ;  and  I  ought  to  know  as  well 
as  any  of  you." 

"That's  so,  Tom.  You  are  the  hero  of  this  en- 
terprise." 

"  Pooh  ! "  snuffed  Tom.  "  Flatten  down  that  main- 
sail, Wolf." 

"Ay,  ay!  down  it  is,"  I  answered,  hauling  in  the 
sheet,  and  crowding  off  the  head  of  the  boat. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         181 

•  The  skipper  ran  the  boat  out  into  the  deep  water, 
and  then  continued  up  the  lake  till  the  Belle  had 
reached  the  upper  side  of  the  gully,  where  we  could 
see  the  position  of  the  Raven. 

"Now,  steady,  Tom.  We  are  not  going  into  that 
fellow's  pistol  barrels,  you  know.  Luff  her  up,  and 
let  us  see  where  he  is  before  we  go  in." 

He  threw  the  Belle  up  into  the  wind,  out  of  pistol 
range  of  the  Raven.  The  latter  had  grounded  where 
the  gully  contracted  its  width.  Her  sails  had  not 
been  lowered,  for  the  robber  evidently  intended  to 
abandon  her  at  this  point. 

"Do  you  see  the  rascal?"   asked  Torn. 

"No;  he  isn't  in  sight;  but  he  may  be  in  the 
cuddy." 

"  I  guess  not.  He  wouldn't  box  himself  up  in  such 
a  place.     He  has  left  her." 

"Probably  he   has;  but  we  will   make   sure  of  it 


befoi 


e  we  go  in 


?> 


From  the  point  where  the  Raven  had  grounded 
there  was  a  gradual  ascent  in  the  ravine,  down  which 
flowed  the  waters  of  the  brook ;  but  there  was  room 
enough  on  the  bottom  to  walk  dry  shod  round  to 


182  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

the  deep  water  on  the  other  side.  We  concluded 
that  the  robber  had  left  the  boat,  and  gone  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  gully,  to  find  a  place  where  he 
could  reach  the  ground  above.  We  waited  long 
enough  to  satisfy  ourselves  that  he  was  not  in  the 
boat,  and  then  stood  in  towards  the  head  of  the 
gully.  In  a  few  moments  we  reached  the  Raven. 
She  was  deserted  and  empty,  and  I  lost  no  time  in 
pushing  her  off.  Taking  her  painter  on  board  of 
the  Belle,  we  towed  her  out  into  the  lake. 

"  That  job  is  done,  and  I  don't  believe  the  rob- 
ber will  sail  in  the  Raven  any  more  to-day,"  said 
Tom. 

"  Now  what  shall  we  do  with  her  ? "  I  asked. 

"We  will  anchor  her  just  as  far  from  the  shore 
as  her  cable  will  reach  bottom." 

This  was  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
bluff,  and  we  soon  had  her  anchored  where  it  was 
impossible  for  her  to  be  reached  by  the  robber. 

"I  don't  think  we  have  made  any  mistake  this 
time,  Wolf;  though,  if  we  have,  we  won't  say  any- 
thing about  it,"  said  Tom,  as  we  ran  towards  the 
shore  again. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         183 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  we  haven't  captured  the  rob- 
ber yet,"  I  replied. 

"We  know  where  he  is,  at  any  rate." 

"That's  so.  If  the  sheriff  keeps  both  eyes  open, 
he  won't  get  out  of  the  trap.  But  he  will  shoot  any 
of  us  who  come  within  reach  of  his  bullets." 

"Well,  we  won't  go  within  reach  of  them,  then," 
added  Tom.  "But  what  shall  we  do  with  ourselves 
now?" 

"I  don't  know  that  we  can  do  anything  better 
than  to  cruise  up  and  down  off  the  mouth  of  the 
gully" 

"That  won't  do  any  good." 

"I  don't  know  about  that.  The  rascal  mi^ht  find 
some  logs  in  the  gully,  and  make  a  raft,  if  we  don't 
keep  watch  of  him  on  this  side.  How  does  your 
arm  feel,  Tom?" 

"  It  aches ;   but  I  can  stand  it  first  rate." 

"  I  may  as  well  go  on  the  bluff,  and  see  what  Mr. 
Bradshaw  is  about,  if  you  can  run  the  Belle  off  the 
gully  alone." 

"O,  I  can!  I  could  work  her  up  to  Middleport 
without  any  help." 


184:  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  Then  I  will  go  ashore.  You  might  anchor  off 
the  gully." 

"No.  I  will  stand  off  and  on,  where  I  can  see 
the  fellow  if  he  comes  in  sight." 

The  Belle  was  run  up  at  the  foot  of  the  path  to 
the  bluff,  and  I  landed.  The  boat  worked  well 
under  the  mainsail  alone,  and  Tom  stood  off  with 
this  sail  only.  I  made  my  way  up  the  steep  path, 
and  soon  reached  the  high  ground.  I  discovered  the 
sheriff  over  by  the  bridge  which  led  from  the  bluff 
to  the  road.  He  was  lying  on  the  ground,  and,  as 
I  approached  him,  I  saw  him  glance  over  the  cliff 
into  the  ravine.  He  had  his  pistol  in  hand,  and  was 
trying  to  get  a  shot  at  his  intended  victim. 

"Where  is  he?"   I  asked,  as   I  joined  the   officer. 

"  The  last  I  heard  of  him,  he  was  down  here," 
replied   the    sheriff,   pointing   down    into   the   ravine. 

"What  is  he  doing?" 

"I  don't  think  he  is  doing  anything  just  now. 
Between    you   and   me,   I   believe   I  wounded   him." 

"I    didn't   hear   you   fire." 

"  I  have  popped  at  him  twice.  I  could  hear  every 
step  he   took,   and  I  followed   him   all   around    the 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  185 

bluff.  I  got  a  sight  of  him  twice,  and  fired  both 
times." 

"What  is  he   doing?" 

"Probably  he  is  keeping  himself  in  a  safe  place. 
I  haven't  heard  anything  of  him  for  some  time." 

"Isn't  he  at  work  in  some  other  place?" 

"  No ;  I  don't  think  he  can  move  without  my 
hearing  him." 

"We  will  stir  him  up  a  little,"  I  added,  taking  a 
good-sized  rock,  and  rolling  it  over  the  precipice. 

I  heard  it  drop  upon  the  rocks  below,  but  -no 
other  sound  came  up  from  the  chasm. 

"That's  a  good  idea.  I  didn't  think  of  that," 
said  the  sheriff,  as  he  proceeded. to  roll  rocks  into 
the  abyss,  which,  however, ,  appeared  to  produce  no 
effect  upon  the  robber,  at  least  so  far  as  dislodging 
him  was  concerned. 

"  I  will  cross  the  gully,"  I  continued.  "  Then  we 
shall  have  one  on  each  side,  and  he  cannot  so  easily 
conceal  himself." 

"  Cross  the  gully ! "  exclaimed  the  sheriff.  "  How 
can  you  do  that?" 

"There  is  a  bridge,"  I  replied,  pointing  to  it. 


186  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  Yes ;  but  the  moment  you  show  yourself  on  that 
bridge,  the  villain  will  put  a  bullet  through  your 
brains,"  added  the  officer. 

"  I  will  see  that  he  is  not  in  position  to  do  that 
before  I  cross." 

I  crawled  upon  my  hands  and  knees  to  the  brink 
of  the  abyss,  and  assured  myself  that  the  robber 
was  not  where  the  sheriff  supposed  he  was.  I  then 
crossed  the  bridge,  and  began  to  move  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  tree  which  lay  across  the  chasm.  I  had 
not  taken  ten  steps  before  a  bullet  whizzed  uncom- 
fortably close  to  my  ears.  Luckily  it  did  not  hit 
me ;  but,  deeming  discretion  to  be  the  better  part 
of  valor,  I  was  not  ashamed  to  lie  down  upon  the 
ground. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    ITCAYGA.         187 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

SHOWERS   OF   ROCKS. 

STEALING  a  cautious  glance  over  the  brink  of 
the  precipice,  I  discovered  the  robber  coiled  up 
under  a  projecting  rock,  about  five  rods  from  the 
place  where  the  sheriff  had  been  looking  for  him. 
It  was  ticklish  business,  though,  after  I  had  heard 
one  bullet  whistle  by  my  ears,  I  felt  more  like  a 
veteran,  and  found  my  courage  increasing.  Still  I 
was  careful  not  to  expose  my  head  again  to  the 
robber's  aim,  for  I  had  a  certain  regard  for  my  head, 
and  the  contents  thereof,  which  made  me  rather 
tender  of  it.  It  may  not  have  been  a  very-  good 
head,  but  it  was  the  best  one  I  had,  and  I  did  not 
like  to  have  it  damaged,  for  no  one  could  give  me 
another  if  I  lost  it.  Besides,  I  was  afraid  it  would 
hurt  Grace  Toppleton's  feelings,  as  well  as  my  own, 
to  have  a  hole  through  my  head. 


188  BEAR   AND    FOEBEAE,    OR 

I  lay  upon  the  ground,  and  did  not  deem  it  pru- 
dent to  attempt  to  obtain  a  second  glance  at  the 
robber  at  once.  But  I  kept  this  position  only  long 
enough  to  consider  what  I  should  do  next.  I  crawled 
back  a  little  way  from  the  ravine,  where  I  could 
lift  my  body  up  without  being  seen  by  the  villain. 
I  then  made  signs  to  the  sheriff  on  the  other  side 
to  indicate  to  him  the  precise  location  of  the  fugitive. 
He  understood  me  perfectly,  and,  guided  by  my  sig- 
nals, he  advanced  to  that  part  of  the  bluff  directly 
over  the  robber's  head.  When  he  had  reached  the 
right  spot,  I  nodded  my  head  to  signify  the  fact. 

The  bluff  was  well  supplied  with  rocks,  and  the 
sheriff  followed  up  the  tactics  I  had  suggested,  by  roll- 
ing them  over  the  brink  of  the  precipice.  It  was 
evident  enough  to  me  that  the  robber  could  not 
stand  this  sort  of  treatment  for  any  great  length  of 
time ;  for,  though  none  of  the  rocks "  thrown  into 
the  chasm  were  larger  than  a  man's  head,  they  were 
heavy  enough  to  smash  a  man's  skull  after  falling 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet.  Of  course  the  chances 
of  hitting  him  with  stones  rolled  blindly  into  the 
ravine  were  not  very  good;  but,  if  we  followed  up 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    UCAYGA.         189 

the  shower,  he  was  in  clanger  of  being  hit  sooner 
or  later. 

"Pitch  them  in,  Mr.  Bradshaw!"  I  shouted.  "Give 
him  plenty  of  them." 

"  Where  is  he  now  ? "  asked  the  sheriff. 

"He  isn't  far  from  you.  Let  him  have  a  shower 
of  them,"  I  added. 

Taking  a  position  myself  far  enough  from  the  gully 
to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  robber's  pistol,  I  began 
to  help  my  companion  on  the  other  side,  and  for  a 
few  minutes  we  rained  down  the  rocks  into  the 
chasm  with  a  zeal  which  threatened  to  bury  the 
victim  beneath  them.  But,  as  we  heard  nothing  of 
him,  I  concluded,  after  a  time,  that  he  had  changed 
his  position,  or  that  his  head  had  been  broken,  and 
we  suspended  the  assault  when  we  were  tired  of  the 
hard  work  it  involved. 

I  then  crawled  up  to  the  chasm  as  close  as  I 
dared  to  go,  and  listened  attentively  for  any  sound 
which  might  indicate  the  robber's  presence;  but  it 
was  his  policy  to  keep  entirely  still,  and  I  obtained 
no  information.  The  sheriff  did  the  same  thing  on 
his   side   of  the   gnlly,  and  we  occasionally  glanced 


190  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

at  each  other  for  intelligence.  As  we  continued  the 
search,  and  our  excitement  increased,  both  of  us  be- 
came more  venturesome.  We  were  soon  reminded 
again  of  the  folly  of  exposing  our  heads  to  the 
fire  of  the  desperado  in  the  chasm.  I  saw  the  sheriff 
dodge,  and  heard  the  crack  of  a  pistol  in  the  chasm. 

"  All  right ! "  shouted  Mr.  Bradshaw  to  me.  "  No- 
body damaged.     He's  right  under  you,  Wolf." 

"I  know  where  he  is  now,"  I  replied;  and  I  renewed 
the  assault  with  a  volley  of  rocks. 

The  sheriff  did  the  same,  and  there  was  a  heavy 
shower  of  stones  into  the  abyss.  We  followed  it  up 
for  half  an  hour,  throwing  the  missiles  in  different 
places  for  several  rods,  so  as  to  cover  any  change  of 
position  the  robber  might  make.  But  the  labor  was 
heavy,  and  seemed  to  be  unprofitable,  while  we  were 
working  in  the  dark.  Making  a  signal  to  the  officer  to 
continue  the  assault  on  his  side,  I  walked  down  to  the 
bridge,  where  I  could  look  into  the  chasm,  and  be  out 
of  the  reach  of  a  ball  from  the  robber's  pistol.  From 
this  secure  position  I  obtained  a  full  view  of  the  rascal. 
He  was  crouching  under  the  overhanging  cliff,  at  least 
five  rods  from  the  place  where  the  sheriff  was  throw- 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  191 

ing  over  the  rocks.  The  desperado  raised  his  pistol, 
and  fired  as  soon  as  he  saw  me ;  but  I  knew  the  weap- 
on would  not  carry  half  the  distance,  and  I  was  brave 
enouoh  not  to  flinch. 

o 

I  was  tired  of  carrying  on  the  war  in  this  blind 
manner.  I  had  been  on  the  bluff  over  an  hour,  and 
nothing  had  been  accomplished.  I  crossed  the  bridge, 
and  walked  up  to  the  place  where  the  sheriff  lay.  I 
had  an  idea,  which  I  hoped  would  bring  matters  to  an 
issue. 

"  Hold  on,  Mr.  Bradshaw,"  said  I,  as  I  approached 
him.  "You  are  wasting  your  ammunition.  The  fel- 
low is  a  hundred  feet  from  you." 

"  This  is  hard  work,"  replied  the  sheriff,  wiping  the 
perspiration  from  his  brow. 

"Yes,  and  almost  useless.  I  don't  believe  we  have 
hit  him  a  single  time." 

"I  thought  he  must  be  smashed  to  jelly  by  this 
time." 

"No;  he  is  crouching  under  an  overhanging  rock, 
out  here,"  I  added,  pointing  to  the  place  where  I  had 
seen  him."  , 

"  Hold  on,  then,  and  I  will  give  him  some  more," 
said  the  zealous  officer. 


192  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  No,  let  him  rest  a  few  minutes.  One  of  us  must 
keep  watch  of  him  at  a  safe  distance  from  his  pistol,"  I 
continued,  picking  up  a  little  stick  from  the  ground. 
"  Let  us  have  some  signals.  I  will  go  down  where  I 
can  see  him,  and  direct  you  so  that  you  can  throw  the 
rocks  in  where  he  is." 

"  Good !     I  like  that,"  replied  the  officer. 

"  When  I  raise  this  stick,  it  means  farther  from  me ; 
when  I  lower  it,  nearer  to  me.  When  I  carry  it  out 
to  the  right,  it  means  on  your  side  of  the  chasm; 
when  to  the  left,  on  the  other  side,"  I  proceeded,  suit- 
ing the  action  to  the  word. 

"  I  understand.  Up  means  farther  off;  down,  near- 
er to  you ;  right,  nearer  to  me ;  left,  farther  from  me. 
That's  a  good  idea,  Wolf,  and  we  shall  smash  him  this 
time." 

"  And  when  you  are  in  the  right  place  I  will  raise 
both  hands,"  I  added. 

I  returned  to  the  bridge,  and  looked  for  the  robber 
again.  He  was  not  in  the  place  where  I  had  last  seen 
him,  and  I  concluded  that,  as  he  had  explored  the 
gully  from  the  point  where  he  landed,  he  had  gone 
in   the   direction  of   the   fallen  tree  over  the  chasm. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPEK   OP   LAKE   T7CAYGA.         193 

Taking  the  side  of  the  gully  opposite  that  on  which 
the  sheriff  was,  I  followed  it  in  the  direction  of  the 
tree.  There  was  a  turn  in  the  gully,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  fall  back  into  the  road  which  lay  near 
it,  in  order  not  to  expose  myself.  I  soon  reached  a 
point  where  I  could  see  the  fallen  tree.  The  robber 
was  directly  under  it,  busily  at  work  doing  something 
which  I  could  not  see. 

I  raised  my  hand  with  the  stick  in  it  as  high  as  I 
could,  to  indicate  to  the  sheriff  that  he  had  a  consider- 
able distance  to  go.  He  increased  his  speed,  and 
when  he  reached  the  tree,  I  raised  both  hands,  the  sig- 
nal that  he  was  in  the  right  place.  But  by  this  time 
he  needed  no  telegram  from  me ;  for,  precisely  as  I  had 
suggested  that  he  would  do,  he  threw  his  cord  over 
the  trunk  of  the  fallen  tree.  The  officer  saw  the  line, 
and  taking  position  at  a  safe  distance,  he  began  to 
pour  in  the  rocks  with  a  vigor  which  threatened  to  an- 
nihilate the  robber,  and  bury  him  beneath  the  debris, 
I  had  a  fair  view  of  the  whole  scene.  The  desperado 
was  trying  to  climb  up  his  rope,  and  had  actually 
begun  the  ascent,  when  he  suddenly  dropped  upon  the 
ground.  It  was  plain  enough  to  me  that  a  rock  had 
hit  him. 


194  BEAK    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  Hold  on  ! "  I  shouted,  at  the  top  of  my  lungs,  for 
I  did  not  wish  to  have  the  fellow  unnecessarily  injured. 

The  sheriff  promptly  suspended  his  operations,  and 
I  ran  with  all  speed  to  the  fallen  tree.  Mr.  Bradshaw 
lay  down  on  his  stomach,  and  crawled  towards  the 
chasm.  As  I  approached,  I  saw  him  retreat  a  little, 
which  assured  me  the  fugitive  was  not  killed. 

"He  hasn't  got  enough  yet,"  said  the  sheriff,  as  I 
arrived  on  the  other  side  of  the  chasm;  and  he  im- 
mediately launched  another  rock  into  the  abyss. 

"  Hold  on  ! "  shouted  the  robber. 

"What  do  you  want?"  demanded  Mr.  Bradshaw. 

"Don't  throw  any  more  rocks  down,"  replied  the 
rascal,  in  a  tone  which  indicated  that  he  was  in  pain. 
"You  have  broken  my  shoulder  now." 

"  Do  you  surrender  ? "  called  the  sheriff. 

"Yes." 

"All  right;  throw  up  your  pistol,  then." 

"I  can't  throw  it  up  —  my  shoulder  is  broken," 
answered  the  robber. 

I  happened  to  have  a  fish-line  in  my  pocket,  one 
end  of  which  I  threw  into  the  chasm. 

"  Tie  your  pistol  to  this  line,"  I  added,  "  and  I  will 
haul  it  out." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.  195 

I  heard  him  moving  in  the  gully,  and  I  crept  for- 
ward to  a  point  where  I  could  see  him.  He  was 
tying  the  pistol  to  the  fish-line. 

« Pull  it  up,"  said  he. 

I  drew  up  the  revolver,  and  put  it  in  my  pocket. 
I  then  dropped  down  the  line  again,  and  directed 
him  to  send  up  his  other  pistol.  He  persisted  that 
he  had  only  one,  and  I  told  him  to  send  up  his 
cartridges,  and  any  knife  he  had  about  him.  He  at- 
tached a  box  of  cartridges  and  a  small  bowie-knife 
to  the  line,  which  I  drew   up. 

"Now  come  up  yourself,"  said  Mr.  Bradshaw.  "But 
I  want  you  to  understand,  if  you  attempt  any  treach- 
ery you  are  a  dead  man." 

"  I  can't  get  up,"  replied  the  robber.  "  My  shoul- 
der is  broken." 

"If  his  shoulder  is  broken,  he  can't  very  well 
shin  up  that  rope,"  I  added. 

"How  shall   we  get  him  out?"  asked    the  sheriff. 

"We  can  take  him  off  in  the  boat,"  I  replied, 
"Indeed,  that's  the  only  way  we  can  get  him  out, 
unless  we  hoist  him  out  with  his  line." 

"As  we  must  return  to  Centreport  in  the  boat, 
that  will  be  the  easist  way,"  replied  the  sheriff. 


196  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

I  crossed  the  chasm  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree, 
and,  after  a  short  consultation  with  the  sheriff,  it 
was  agreed  that  he  should  remain  on  the  bluff,  and 
see  that  the  robber  did  not  escape  while  we  were 
bringing  up  the  Belle,  and  that  I  should  go  with 
Tom,  and  take  him  on  board  at  the  place  where 
he  had  landed.  If  we  both  left  the  bluff,  he  might 
still  be  smart  enough  to  escape,  in  spite  of  his  injury. 

I  hastened  down  the  path,  and,  hailing  Tom,  was 
soon  on  board  of  the  Belle.  I  told  the  skipper  we 
had  damaged  the  robber  so  that  he  was  willing  to 
surrender,  and  had  given  up  his  pistol,  which  I  ex- 
hibited. By  the  time  we  reached  the  point  in  the 
gully  where  the  Raven  had  grounded,  the  robber 
had  arrived  there,  and  the  sheriff  at  the  point  on 
the  bluff  above  him.  On  the  way,  I  had  loaded  all 
the  barrels  of  the  robber's  revolver,  and  held  it  in 
my  hand.  But  the  desperado  seemed  to  be  very 
badly  injured,  and  I  was  obliged  to  help  him  into 
the  boat.  He  seated  himself  opposite'  me,  and  I 
put  his  travelling-bag  in  the   cuddy. 

Pushing  off,  Tom  headed  the  Belle  out  into  the 
lake,  in  order  to  take  a  tack  so  as  to  reach  the  foot 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TTCAYGA.  197 

of  the  path,  and  receive  the  sheriff  on  board.  Un- 
der the  lee  of  the  Raven,  the  skipper  put  the  helm 
down,  and  I  went  forward  to  clear  away  the  jib. 
While  I  was  thus  occupied,  the  robber  made  a  sud- 
den spring  at  Tom,  and  taking  him  up  in  his  arms, 
tossed  him  into  the  lake.  The  deed  was  done  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  The  robber  then  made 
a  leap  towards  me. 


198  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,  OR 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A   BLOW   WITH    THE    BOAT-HOOK. 

THE  robber  appeared  to  be  suffering  so  much  from 
the  injuries  in  his  shoulder  that  I  had  not  con- 
sidered him  capable  of  giving  us  any  further  trouble  ; 
and  when  I  went  forward  to  clear  away  the  jib,  I  put 
the  revolver  in  my  j)ocket.  I  did  not  suppose  a  man 
who  declared  that  his  shoulder  was  broken  would  make 
an  attack  upon  us,  and  I  had  relinquished  the  pre- 
cautions adopted  when  the  desperado  came  on  board. 

I  was  astounded  and  horrified  when  I  saw  Tom 
pitched  into  the  lake  with  so  little  ceremony.  I  saw 
the  robber  spring  towards  me,  and  I  fully  comprehend- 
ed his  purpose.  He  doubtless  intended  to  throw  me 
overboard  also,  and  then  seek  some  more  available 
landing-place  than  he  had  chosen  before.  I  had  only 
time  to  pick  up  the  boat-hook,  when  I  divined  his  plan, 
before  he  was  upon  the  half  deck.    I  had  been  too  ten- 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         199 

der-hearted  and  forbearing  before,  but  now  I  was  des- 
perate, when  I  saw  poor  Tom  floundering  in  the  lake, 
wounded,  and  hardly  able  to  help  himself. 

Swinging  the  boat-hook  over  my  head,  I  sprang 
towards  the  robber ;  and,  clearing  the  fore-stay,  I 
brought  it  down  upon  his  bare  pate  with  a  force  that 
felled  him  to  the  floor  of  the  standing-room.  He  at- 
tempted to  dodge  my  blow,  but  the  boom  swung  round 
and  held  him  so  that  he  could  not  avoid  it.  I  hit  him 
fairly  with  the  heavy  iron  at  the  end  of  my  weapon, 
and  he  dropped  as  an  ox  does  under  the  butcher's  axe. 

"  I  think  you  will  lie  still  for  a  while  now,"  said  I, 
glancing  at  him,  as  I  hastened  to  the  helm. 

The  Belle  had  lost  her  headway  when  Tom  was 
removed  from  the  helm,  and  I  was  fortunately  able  to 
reach  him  with  the  boat-hook.  I  extended  it  to  him, 
and  he  grasped  it  with  the  hand  of  the  uninjured  arm. 
I  pulled  him  in,  and  helped  him  on  board. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Tom?"  I  asked,  anxiously,  as  soon 
as  I  had  dragged  the  skipper  into  the  standing-room. 

"No,  I  guess  not,"  he  replied,  shaking  the  water 
from  his  hair..  "  That  fellow  wouldn't  have  done  that 
if  I  had  only  had  two  arms,  instead  of  one.  It  was  a 
shabby  trick  he  played  me." 


200  BEAE   AND   FORBEAR,   OB 

"  I  think  he  will  have  a  sore  head  after  this." 

"  I  saw  you  crack  him  with  the  boat-hook." 

"  I  gave  him  a  stunner." 

"Did  you  kill  him?" 

"  I  don't  know.    He  hasn't  moved  since  he  fell." 

Gathering  up  the  sheet,  which  had  run  out  in  the 
scrape,  I  headed  the  boat  for  the  foot  of  the  path, 
where  the  sheriff  was  waiting  for  us.  I  had  heard 
him  yell  when  the  robber  tossed  Tom  into  the  lake, 
and  I  had  no  doubt  he  was  gratified  with  the  turn  I 
had  been  able  to  give  to  the  affair. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Tom  ?  "  I  asked,  when  I  had  put 
the  Belle  on  her  course. 

"First  rate,  Wolf,"  he  replied;  but  his  looks  and 
actions  belied  his  words. 

"  No,  you  don't,  Tom.     You  are  suffering." 

"Well,  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth,  that  villain  gave  my  sore  arm  an  awful  twist, 
and  it  don't  feel  as  good  as  it  did." 

"  Let  me  get  the  sheriff  on  board,  and  then  we  will 
run  for  Priam,  where  we  can  have  something  done  for 
you." 

"  O,  never  mind  me,  Wolf.    I'm  so  glad  we  have  got 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         201 

our  man,  that  I  don't  care  much  for  anything  else,"  re- 
plied Tom. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  will  take  cold,  and  have  a  bad  arm, 
if  something  isn't  done  for  it." 

"  I  should  rather  laugh  to  see  myself  taking  cold," 
added  Tom.  "Why,  I'm  in  the  water  half  the  time, 
and  I  feel  just  as  good  when  I'm  wet  through  as  when 
I'm  dry." 

"  I  don't  care  what  you  say ;  I  intend  to  take  good 
care  of  you,  Tom,"  I  replied,  as  I  lowered  the  main- 
sail, and  ran  the  boat  up  at  the  foot  of  the  path. 

"  You  have  had  a  narrow  escape,"  said  the  sheriff. 

a  Yes ;  but  an  inch  is  as  good  as  a  mile.  We  are  all 
right  now.  Hurry  up,  Mr.  Bradshaw.  We  are  going 
up  to  Priam." 

"To  Priam?" 

"  Yes ;  I'm  going  to  have  Tom  taken  care  of  before  I 
do  anything  more." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  go  to  Priam." 

"  Leave  you  here,  then,  if  you  like,"  I  replied. 

"  But  I  want  to  take  that  man  up  to  Centreport." 

"  On  board,  or  I  will  shove  off  without  you." 

The  sheriff  stepped  into  the  boat,  and  began  to  talk 


202  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

about  his  prisoner ;  but  I  headed  the  Belle  for  Priam, 
in  spite  of  his  objections. 

"  That  fellow  begins  to  move,"  said  Tom. 

The  robber  rolled  over  and  put  his  hand  to  his  head. 
Then  he  heaved  a  long  sigh.  Tom  took  the  helm,  at 
his  own  desire,  and  the  sheriff  and  I  raised  the  des- 
perado, and  laid  him  on  one  of  the  seats.  The  blood 
was  flowing  down  the  side  of  his  head,  and  we  found 
an  ugly  wound  where  I  had  hit  him.  The  blow  had 
stunned  him;  but  he  was  beginning  to  revive.  The 
sheriff  washed  his  head,  and  bound  a  handkerchief 
over  the  wound,  which  I  judged  was  not  a  serious 
one.  In  a  short  time  he  was  able  to  sit  uj>,  and  the 
officer  put  a  pair  of  handcuffs  upon  his  wrists. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  all  up  with  me  now,"  said  he,  after 
he  had  surveyed  the  situation,  and  glanced  particu- 
larly at  the  handcuffs. 

"  You  may  as  well  hang  up  your  fiddle  now,"  added 
Tom.     "  How  is  your  shoulder  ?  " 

"My  shoulder  is  sore,  but  I  think  I  could  use  it 
again  if  there  was  a  good  chance,"  said  he,  biting  his 
lips.    "  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  " 

"  I'll  take  good  care  of  you  now,"  replied  the  sheriff. 


THE  YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF  LAKE   TTCAYGA.         203 

"  Don't  be  rough  on  a  fellow." 

"By  gracious!  I've  seen  this  fellow  before!"  ex- 
claimed Tom,  suddenly.  "It's  Schleifer,  that  hard- 
ware drummer,  as  sure  as  you  live!" 

I  looked  at  him  carefully,  and  was  satisfied  that 
Tom  was  right.  But  he  was  very  much  changed. 
His  face  was  covered  with  smut  and  dirt.  His  dress, 
which  had  been  carefully  adjusted  when  we  saw  him 
before,  was  now  deranged  and  soiled.  He  had  evi- 
dently used  a  good  deal  of  oil  in  cutting  the  hole 
through  the  door  of  the  bank  vault,  and  had  daubed 
his  face  all  over,  so  that  he  looked  like  a  machinist 
just  from  the  shop.  As  I  looked  at  him  now,  I  was 
not  surprised  that  we  had  not  recognized  him. 

"  Schleifer  it  is,  if  you  believe  that  is  my  name," 
he  replied.     "Names  are  cheap." 

"  Where  is  the  other  fellow  ? "  asked  Tom. 

"I  hope  he  has  been  smarter  than  I  have,"  an- 
swered the  robber,  gloomily. 

"You  have  been  smart,"  added  Tom. 

"  If  I  had  not  run  into  that  infernal  hole,  I  should 
not  have  been  here." 

"Who  was  that  man  with  you?"  I  asked,  recall- 


204  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OB 

ing  the  scene  in  front  of  the  stable  at  the  hotel,  on 
the  preceding  evening. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  You  can  ask  just  as  many  questions 
as  you  please;  and  I  can  answer  just  as  many  as 
I  like,"  replied  he.  "But  we  won't  quarrel  because 
I  have  been  unfortunate.  It's  a  great  pity  that  a 
young  man  like  me  should  be  sent  to  the  jug  for 
the  best  part  of  my  life.     Can't  we  make  a  trade  ?  I 

"What  do  you  mean  by  a  trade?"  asked  the 
sheriff. 

"  I'll  be  fair  with  you,"  continued  the  robber.  "  I 
have  in  my  bag  about  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars—  I  don't  know  how  much.  We  didn't  stop  to 
count  the  money.  Call  it  forty  thousand.  Here  are 
four  of  us,  and  that's  just  ten  thousand  apiece.  In 
other  words,  if  you  will  let  me  off,  I  will  give  you 
ten  thousand  apiece,  whether  I  have  anything  my- 
self or  not." 

"  That's  a  pretty  good  offer,"  said  the  sheriff,  who 
had  probably  never  seen  ten  thousand  dollars  in 
his  life. 

I  did  not  care  to  discuss  such  a  question,  and 
therefore  said  nothing. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.  205 

"  It  won't  compromise  you  in  the  slightest  degree," 
continued  the  robber,  evidently  encouraged  by  the 
remark  of  the  officer.  "Just  run  the  boat  up  to 
the  shore,  and  I  will  take  care  of  myself.  All  you 
have  to  say  is,  that  you  could  not  catch  me.  You 
can  put  a  shot  or  two  through  your  hat,  and  through 
your  coat,  to  prove  that  you  have  not  been  back- 
ward in  following  me  up." 

"Ten  thousand  dollars  is  a  good  deal  of  money 
to  a  poor  man  like  me,"  added  Mr.  Bradshaw.  "It 
is  more  money  than  I  ever  expected  to  see  at  one 
time." 

"It  will  not  be  the  first  time  such  a  trade  has 
been  made,"  urged  the  robber. 

"What  do  you  say,  Wolf?"  added  the  sheriff, 
turning  to  me. 

"I  don't  say  anything,"  I  replied. 

"Here  is  a  good  chance   to  make  some  money." 

"I  can  tell  you  of  a  better  chance." 

"What's  that?" 

"Go  up  and  rob  the  Middleport  or  the  Ucayga 
Bank.  If  you  do  the  job  well,  I  have  no  doubt 
you  can  make  fifty  thousand  by  it." 


206  BEAK   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"Of  course  I  wouldn't  rob  a  bank,"  he  replied, 
laughing. 

"You  might  as  well  as  make  a  trade  with  this 
fellow.     It's  all  the  same  thing." 

"You  really  don't  suppose  I  meant  to  do  such  a 
thing,"  said  he,  with  a  sickly  smile. 

"Come,  what  do  you  say?"  persisted  the  robber, 
glancing  anxiously  ahead,  for  we  were  rapidly  ap- 
proaching Priam. 

"We  will  not  say  anything  more  about  it,"  replied 
the  sheriff. 

And  he  did  not.  I  will  not  say  whether,  if  the 
sheriff  had  been  alone,  he  would  have  made  such 
a  nefarious  bargain  as  that  suggested  by  the  rob- 
ber; but  I  considered  it  better  that  he  was  not  alone. 
Schleifer  pressed  the  subject ;  but  Bradshaw  was  now 
indignant  at  the  idea,  and  finally  it  was  dropped. 
The  sheriff  behaved  rather  nervously;  but  I  could 
not  tell  whether  it  was  because  he  was  losing  a 
chance  to  make  his  fortune,  or  was  afraid  he  had 
committed  himself. 

"Do  you  suppose  they  have  caught  the  other  fel- 
low?" asked  Tom,  as  we  approached  Priam. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  *     207 

"  If  they  haven't,  they  will  catch  him,"  I  replied. 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  "  demanded  the  robber. 

"I  know  all  about  him  now,"  I  answered. 

"You  don't  know  so  much  as  you  think  you  do." 

"I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  find  Lord  Palsgrave," 
I  added. 

"  Bah !  You  will  find  him  as  you  did  me  —  by  ac- 
cident, if  you  find  him  at  all.  If  I  had  not  run 
into  that  hole,  you  would  not  have  seen  me  again. 
I  was  a  fool  that  I  did  not  cut  a  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom of  this  boat,  instead  of  trying  to  burn  her." 

"We  all  make  blunders,"  I  suggested. 

"Yes,  you  have  made  your  full  share,"  sneered  he. 
"Do  you  know  where  I  was  when  you  were  look- 
ing for  me  on  the  other 'side?  I'll  tell  you.  I  was 
in  that  gully,  listening   to  what  you  said." 

The  robber  was  evidently  trying  to  comfort  him- 
self in  his  misfortune,  and  he  regaled  us,  until  we 
reached  the  wharf,  with  a  recital  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  had  balked  us.  He  wanted  to  know  how 
we  happened  to  be  in  the  Narrows  at  midnight, 
but  I  did  not  care  to  enlighten  him.  We  landed 
at   Priam,  and   went   up   to   the    hotel,   the    sheriff 


208  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

guarding  his  prisoner  with  the  greatest  care.  The 
intelligence  of  the  robbery  of  the  bank  had  already- 
reached  the  town,  for  Captain  Synders  and  Wad- 
die  had  passed  through  the  place  several  hours  be- 
fore in  pursuit  of  the  other  robber. 

I  sent  for  a  doctor  as  soon  as  we  reached  the 
hotel,  and  obtained  a  supply  of  dry  clothing  for 
Tom.  In  a  short  time  I  had  made  him  very  com- 
fortable. The  physician  dressed  his  wound,  and  de- 
clared that  it  was  not  serious,  though  it  would  give 
the  patient  some  trouble. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         209 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


AT    THE    CATARACT    HOUSE. 


IT  was  decided  that  the  sheriff  should  return  to 
Centreport  with  his  prisoner  in  the  Ucayga, 
which  left  Hitaca  at  one  o'clock,  and  would  be  at 
Priam  before  two.  The  doctor  insisted  that  Torn 
should  keep  quiet  for  two  or  three  days,  and  he  re, 
luctantly  consented  to  return  in  the  steamer,  while 
I  went  up  the  lake  to  the  Cataract  House,  to  see 
what  had  become  of  Lord  Palsgrave. 

Soon  after  we  arrived  at  the  hotel,  Schleifer  de- 
clared that  he  was  nearly  starved,  for  he  had  not 
eaten  anything  since  he  had  taken  his  supper  the 
evening  before  in  Hitaca.  I  ordered  an  early  din- 
der  for  the  whole  party,  and  the  robber's  handcuffs 
were  removed  to  enable  him  to  use  his  knife  and 
fork ;  but  both  the  sheriff  and  myself  had  a  revolver 
by  the  side  of  our  plates,  and  the  rascal  made  no 
attempt  to  escape. 
14 


210  BEAR   AND    FORBEAK,    OE 

"While  we  were  at  dinner,  Captain  Synders  and 
Waddie  arrived,  on  their  return  from  the  pursuit 
of  the  other  robber.  They  had  not  been  able  to 
obtain  the  slightest  clew  to  him  in  this  direction, 
and  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  gone 
towards  Ucayga;  but  a  party  had  been  sent,  in  that 
direction,  and  it  was  hoped  he  had  been   captured. 

"  How  far  did  you  go,  Waddie  ? "  I  asked. 

"We  went  about  a  mile  beyond  the  Cataract 
House,"  he  replied.  "  We  could  not  find  the  slight- 
est trace  of  him." 

"Did  you  stop  at  the  Cataract  House?" 

"Yes,  a  few  minutes." 

"Did   you  see  Mr.  Overton?" 

"No;  but  the  landlord  told  me  he  was  out  look- 
ing for  Miss  Dornwood,  who  disappeared  last  evening 
very  strangely,"  replied  Waddie,  chuckling.  "  Lord  — 
What's  his  name?" 

"Lord  Palsgrave,"  I  added,  with  interest. 

"Lord  Palsgrave  was  helping  him  in  the  search" 

"Indeed!"  I  exclaimed.     "All  right!" 

"What's  all  right?" 

"Lord  Palsgrave." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         211 

"What  of  him?" 

"He's  your  man." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Waddie,  unable 
to  comprehend  my  rapid   suggestions. 

"You  have  not-  seen  the  robber  we  captured, 
Waddie.  I  had  forgotten  that.  You  must  go  in 
and  look  at  him." 

"Why?" 

"He  is  an  old  acquaintance  of  ours." 

"The  robber?" 

"Yes;  in  a  word,  it  is  the  hardware,  drummer 
that  we  took  from  the  burning  canal-boat,"  I  replied. 
"His  mission  in   Centreport  was  to  rob   the   bank." 

"Now  I  remember  the  fellow  said  he  wanted  to 
go  to  Centreport,  half  a  dozen  times,  and  as  often 
corrected  himself,  and  made  it  Middleport.  You  don't 
say  that  drummer  is  the  fellow!" 

"It's  a  fact;  and,  if  the  drummer  was  one  of 
them,  it  follows  that  Lord  Palsgrave  is   the  other." 

"By  the  great  horn  spoon!"  ejaculated  Waddie. 

"It's  as  clear  as  mud,"  I  added.  "I  saw  his  lordship 
and  the  drummer  leave  the  stable  together  in  a 
vehicle." 


212  BEAK   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"But  how  could  he  get  back  here?  That's  what 
bothers  me.  We  came  down  by  the  direct  road,  and 
could  not  get  any  traces  of  him." 

"I  don't  know  how  that  is,  but  I  am  satisfied  his 
lordship  is  one  of  the  men  who  robbed  the  Cen- 
treport  Bank.  I  am  going  to  the  Cataract  House 
in  the  Belle.  Captain  Synders  had  better  go  with 
me,  for  I  am  sure  Lord  Palsgrave  is  our  man." 

"All  right;   and  I  will  go   also,"  replied   Waddie. 

We  went  into  the  hotel,  and  my  friend  was  fully 
convinced  of  the  correctness  of  my  theory  when  he 
saw  and  recognized  the  drummer.  Schleifer,  or  what- 
ever his  name  was,  continued  to  be  boastful  and 
defiant.  He  was  a  hard  villain,  and  seemed  to  take 
great  pleasure  in  informing  us  how  he  had  cheated 
us  in  the  pursuit.  When  we  went  in,  he  was  tell- 
ing the  sheriff  that,  though  he  had  been  hit  on  the 
shoulder  by  a  stone,  he  was  not  much  hurt,  and  had 
concluded  that  his  chances  were  better  in  the  boat 
than  in  that  dismal  hole.  We  did  not  pay  much 
attention  to  him,  however;  and,  after  Waddie  and 
Captain  Synders  had  dined,  we  embarked  in  the 
Belle  for  the  Cataract  House. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.         213 

"I  don't  understand  how  the  other  robber  can  be 
down  here,"  said  the  constable  when  we  were  un- 
der way.    "  In  fact,  I  don't  believe  he  is  here." 

"You  shall  be  satisfied  on  that  point  before  night," 
I  replied. 

"It  would  be  a  feather  in  our  caps  if  we  should 
happen  to  catch  him,"  added  the  captain. 

"If  he  don't  get  frightened  and  clear  out,  we 
shall  have  him  before  night,"  I  replied. 

Indeed,  I  wondered  that  his  lordship  had  the  te- 
merity to  remain  in  the  vicinity  after  the  crime  in 
which  he  had  been  engaged,  and  I  suggested  to  my 
companions  that  we  should  proceed  with  the  ut- 
most caution,  and  capture  him  before  the  news  of 
Schleifer's  mishap  reached  him.  The  wind  was  still 
fair  3nd  fresh,  and  we  made  a  quick  run  to  our 
destination.  We  landed  at  a  point  some  distance 
above  that  from  which  we  had  started  the  night 
before,  and,  taking  a  path  through  the  woods,  pro- 
ceded  to  the  stable  in  the  rear  of  the  hotel.  I 
wished  to  ascertain  when  and  how  bis  lordship  had 
returned.  I  did  not  like  to  have  the  constable  ex-, 
hibit  himself,   and  I  left  him  in  the   grove,  though 


214  BEAR   AND   F0EBEAE,    OR 

he  grumbled  not  a  little  at  being  compelled  to  play 
an  inferior  part  in  the  transaction.  I  found  the 
stable-keeper,  who  knew  me  very  well,  and  being 
in  a  position  to  send  customers  to  the  hotel,  I  was 
treated  with   much  consideration. 

"You  remember  that  I  was  here  last  evening?" 
I  began,  after  he  had  greeted  me. 

"Yes,  you  were  asking  about  that  lord  who  is 
stopping  in  the  house." 

"Exactly  so.  I  never  happened  to  meet  a  live  lord, 
and  I  am  rather  anxious  to  see  one.  Has  he  re- 
turned yet?" 

"Yes;  he  came  back  this  morning,  about  eight 
o'clock." 

"Did  the  other  gentleman  return  with  him?"  I 
asked. 

"No;  did  you  know  him?" 

"I  had  seen  him  before.  Do  you  know  where 
they  went?"      . 

"Over  to  Highlandville.  Lord  Palsgrave  said  he 
had  been  over  there  to  see  a  friend  he  met  in 
England  last  year." 

His  lordship  was  certainly  very  obliging  to  state 


THE    YOUNG   SKIPPER    OP    LAKE    UCATGA.  215 

his  business  so  definitely  to  the  stable-keeper;  and 
I  was  rather  desirous  of  knowing  who  his  friends 
in  Highland ville  were.  This  place  was  about  five 
miles  back  from  the  lake. 

"Do  you  know  where  he   is   now?"  I  continued. 

"  He  and  another  gentleman  took  a  team  this  fore- 
noon,   and    went    away.     They   have    not    returned 

yet." 

"Who  was  the  other  gentleman?" 

"Mr.  Overton,  I  think;  at  any  rate,  it  was  the 
one  who  came  with  him,"  replied  the  stable-keeper. 
"I  reckon  there  is  some  trouble  in  the  family,  Cap- 
tain Penniman.  The  young  lady  who  came  with 
the  party  cleared  out  last  night,  and  they  have 
been  looking  for  her  all  day.  I  believe  they  have 
gone  to  Hitaca  this  time." 

The  stable-keeper  wanted  to  tell  me  all  about 
the  young  lady,  who  had  "cleared  out;"  but  as 
I  knew  more  of  the  matter  than  he  did,  I  was 
not  anxious  to  hear  the  story.  The  only  point  in 
his  narrative  that  interested  me  was  the  statement 
that  the  young  lady  was  supposed  to  be  insane, 
being  subject  to  this  malady.    I  concluded  that  this 


216  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

was  an  invention  of  Mr.  Overton,  put  forth  for  the 
purpose   of  concealing  the  real  trouble. 

"  There  they  are  now ! "  said  the  stable-keeper,  as 
a  team  drove  up  to  the  side  door  of  the  hotel.  "I 
thought   they  would  be  back  by  dinner  time." 

One  of  the  gentlemen  alighted  from  the  vehicle, 
and  went  into  the  hotel,  while  the  other  drove  the 
horse  up  to  the  stable.  The  latter  was  Mr.  Over- 
ton, and  as  I  did  not  care  about  being  seen  before 
we  were  ready  to  put  the  bracelets  on  the  wrists  of 
his  lordship,  I  left  the  stable,  and  moved  towards  the 
grove  where  I  had  left  my  companions.  But  the 
horse,  when  headed  towards  the  stable,  smelt  his 
oats,  and  started  off  rather  suddenly,  and  Mr.  Over- 
ton drove  him  around  the  hotel  to  prevent  the  ani- 
mal from  turning  too  short  a  corner.  I  did  not  ob- 
serve where  he  went,  and  as  I  was  hastening  to 
the  grove,  I  met  him  in  the  road,  where  I  could 
not  avoid  him  without  jumping  over  the  fence,  which 
my  dignity  would  not  permit  me  to  do.  He  rec- 
ognized me  at  once,  and  stopped  the  horse. 

"I  wish  to  see  you,  young  man,"  said  he,  in  an 
arrogant  tone,  as  he  stepped  out  of  the  vehicle. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         217 

One  of  the  hostlers  came  to  the  place,  and  took 
charge  of  the  horse,  so  that  he  was  relieved  of  all  care 
on  his  account,  and  able  to  give  his  whole  atten- 
tion to  me.  I  nodded  to  him,  as  he  spoke,  to  indi- 
cate that  I  was  ready  to  hear  him. 

"You  are  one  of  the  persons  who  were  with  my 
ward,  Miss  Dornwood,  yesterday  afternoon  ? "  he  con-? 
tinued,  pulling  off  his  glove.    • 

"  I  am  one  of  the  persons,"  I  replied. 

"You  are  the  owner  of  a  boat?" 

"No,  sir,  I  am  not." 

"One  of  your  party  is?" 

"One  of  my  party  is." 

"Where  is  that  boat  now?"  demanded  he,  begin- 
ning to  be  a  little  excited. 

"She  lies  over  by  the  shore   yonder." 

"  Where  ?  "  repeated  he,  sternly. 

"If  you  wish  to  see  her,  I  will  take  you  to  her," 
I  replied,  good-naturedly,  for  this  is  my  policy  when 
other  people  are  angry. 

"I  don't  wish  to  see  her;  I  only  want  to  know 
where  she  is." 

"Well,  sir,  she  is  not  a  half  a  mile  from  here." 


218  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"Hasn't  she  been  away  somewhere?" 

"I  believe  the  lake  is  free  for  her  to  go  wher- 
ever her  skipper  chooses  to  take  her,"  I  replied,  pru- 
dently. 

It  occurred  to  me  that  Lord  Palsgrave  might  be 
interested  to  know  where  the  Belle  had  been,  and  I 
was  afraid  some  information  might  be  conveyed  to 
him  before  I  was  ready  to  have  him .  receive  it. 

"You  don't  answer  my  question,"  said  Mr.  Over- 
ton,  savagely. 

"I  don't  consider  myself  under  any  obligation  to 
answer  your  questions,  especially  when  you  propose 
them  in  this  offensive  manner,"  I  replied,  mildly. 

He  bit  his  lips,  and  perhaps  he  recognized  the 
force  of  my  remark. 

"I  have  a  purpose  in  putting  these  questions,"  he 
added,   more   gently. 

"I  can't  help  it  if  you  have,  sir." 

"In  a  word,  the  young  lady  whom  you  assisted 
has  run  away.     Do  you  know  anything  about  her?" 

"For  the  present,  sir,  I  decline  to  answer." 

"  Which  means  that  you  do  know  something  about 
her." 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         219 

"You  may  draw  your  own  conclusions." 

"  Let  me  tell  you,  young  man,  that  Miss  Dornwood 
is  my  ward,  and  under  my  authority.  Lord  Palsgrave 
and  myself  have  been  searching  for  her  all  the  fore- 
noon." 

"Indeed!  Is  Lord  Palsgrave  much  interested  in 
her?"  I  asked. 

"He  is  to  be  her  husband,  and  of  course  he  is 
very  anxious  in  regard   to   her." 

"If  \e  is  to  be  her  husband,  I  should  think  he 
might  be  anxious,"  I  added,  coolly. 

"He  is  very  much  distressed,  and  if  you  know 
anything  about  her,  you  will  do  him  a  very  great 
favor  by  informing  him  where  she  is." 

"I  should  be  happy  to  oblige   his  lordship." 

"Lord  Palsgrave  is  -compelled  to  start  for  New 
York  this  afternoon,  upon  important  business,  and 
he  is  very  anxious  to  know  what  has  become  of 
Miss  Dornwood  before  he  leaves." 

"I  should  think  he  would  be.  Then  he  is  going 
away  on  important  business,"  I  repeated,  glad  to 
know  the  fact.  "Will  you  introduce  me  to  his 
lordship?" 


220  BEAU   AND   FOKBEAE,   OB 

«I  will." 

"I  will  tell  him  where  the  lady  is." 

"Very  well;  you  shall  see  him  at  once." 

"I  will  meet  you  at  the  hotel  in  a  few  moments," 

I  replied,  moving  towards  the  place  where  I  had  left 

Waddie  and  Captain  Synders. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF  LAKE   UCAYGA.        221 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


THE    OTHER   BANK   ROBBER. 


I  CALLED  Captain  Synders  and  Waddie  from 
their  hiding-place,  and  hastened  to  the  hotel,  in- 
tending to  reach  it  about  as  soon  as  Mr.  Overton,  for  I 
was  rather  fearful  that  his  lordship  would  take  the 
alarm,  and  leave  before  I  had  an  oppurtunity  to  intro- 
duce him  to  the  constable. 

"I  promised  to  tell  Lord  Palsgrave  where  Miss 
Dornwood  is,"  said  I,  as  we  hurried  towards  the  rear 
entrance  of  the  hotel,  while  Mr.  Overton  had  gone  to 
the  front  door.     "  Have  you  any  objection,  Waddie  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  have.  It  is  useless  to  try  to 
hide  her  from  him,"  he  replied,  as  we  entered  the  hotel. 

I  saw  Mr.  Overton  go  into  the  parlor ;  and,  after  pla- 
cing the  constable  where  he  would  be  available  when 
his  services  were  needed,  Waddie  and  I  followed  the 
anxious  guardian.  We  found  him  talking  to  an  ele- 
gantly dressed  lady,  who,  I  concluded,  was  his  wife. 


222  BEAK  AND   FOEBEAE,   OE 

"Lord  Palsgrave  is  not  here  just  now,"  said  Mr. 
Overton,  as  we  approached  the  spot  where  he  stood. 

"  He  has  gone  up  stairs  to  dress  for  dinner,"  added 
the  lady.  "  He  said  he  would  be  down  in  a  few  mo- 
ments." 

"  We  are  somewhat  in  a  hurry,"  I  continued,  anx- 
iously; for  I  was  afraid  his  lordship  might  obtain  a 
hint  of  the  presence  of  a  constable  on  the  premises. 

"  If  you  are  in  a  hurry,  it  will  be  quite  as  proper 
for  you  to  impart  your  information  to  me,"  said  Mr. 
Overton. 

"I  promised  to  give  it  to  Lord  Palsgrave  only,"  I 
added,  wishing  him  to  understand  that  I  would  give  it 
to  no  other  person. 

I  was  very  much  afraid  of  making  a  blunder.  Of 
course  his  lordship,  having  just  returned  from  robbing 
a  bank,  would  naturally  be  very  excitable  and  sus- 
picious. I  walked  across  the  room  with  Waddie,  in 
order  to  obtain  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  him  in 
private. 

"  Go  to  the  office,  Waddie,  and  ascertain  the  number 
of  Lord  Palsgrave's  room,  and  don't  let  him  leave  the 
house,"  I  said  to  him,  in  a  low  tone.  "  Don't  say  any- 
thing unless  he  attempts  to  leave." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP    LAKE    FCAYGA.  223 

"  I  understand,"  replied  Waddie,  as  he  left  the  par- 
lor to  execute  his  mission. 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  leave  till  you  have  seen  Lord 
Palsgrave,"  said  Mr.  Overton,  perhaps  afraid  that  I 
should  follow  the  example  of  my  companion. 

"  I  will  not,  sir,"  I  answered,  walking  with  him  over 
to  the  place  where  the  lady  was  seated. 

"  We  are  very  anxious  indeed  about  Miss  Dorn- 
woocl,"  he  added;  "but  more  for  her  own  sake  than 
for  any  other  reason.     She  is  young  and  giddy." 

"  I  think  you  need  not  be  disturbed  about  her." 

"  How  can  we  help  being  worried  about  her  ?  "  said 
the  lady. 

"  Well,  madam,  I  can  assure  you  she  is  with  excel- 
lent people,  who  will  be  very  careful  of  her."  • 

"  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  conveyed 
Miss  Dornwood  away  in  your  boat?"  asked  Mr. 
Overton. 

"  Whatever  the  facts  may  be,  I  did  not  say  so.  Did 
I  understand  you  to  say  that  Miss  Dornwood  is  en* 
gaged  to  Lord  Palsgrave?" 

"I  did  say  so." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  been  acquainted  with  his 
lordship  for  a  long  time,  then?" 


224  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"No,  only  a  few  weeks." 

"Of  course  you  are  satisfied  that  he  is  what  he 
represents  himself  to  be." 

"  What,  Lord  Palsgrave  ? "  demanded  Mr.  Overton, 
with  a  frown.    "  Why  do  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  are  aware,  sir,  that  all  people  who 
pass  themselves  off  as  noblemen  in  the  United  States 
are  not  really  so." 

"  I  think  such  a  suggestion  is*  an  insult  to  his  lord- 
ship. Did  Miss  Dornwood  intimate  to  you  that  Lord 
Palsgrave  was  an  impostor?" 

"  She  did  not.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  confident  that 
she  believes  he  is  just  what  he  claims  to  be." 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  that.  May  I  ask  if 
you,  know  anything  about  Lord  Palsgrave  ?  " 

"  I  do  know  something  about  him,  though  I  have 
not  yet  even  met  his  lordship." 

"  I  think  you  ask  rather  remarkable  questions  con- 
cerning him.  But  here  comes  his  lordship,"  added 
he,  as  an  elegantly-dressed  young  gentleman  entered 
the  parlor. 

Mr.  Overton  hastened  to  meet  Lord  Palsgrave,  and 
spoke  to  him  for  a  moment  in  private.     While  they 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OP    LAKE    UCAYGA.  225 

were  thus  engaged,  Waddie  entered  the  room,  and 
came  to  my  side.  We  had  an  opportunity  to  examine 
his  lordship's  elegantly-fitting  garments,  which  were 
certainly  very  creditable  to  his  tailor.  I  had  obtained 
a  single  glance  at  his  face,  and  if  his  voice  had  been 
familiar  to  me,  there  was  also  something  in  his  looks 
which  seemed  to  remind  me  that  I  had  seen  him  be- 
fore, though  I  did  not  then  recognize  him. 

Lord  Palsgrave  was  in  full  dress,  with  a  white  vest 
and  black  dress  coat.  His  patent-leather  boots  were 
unexceptionable,  and  his  pants  were  a  capital  fit. 
From  his  neck  an  eye-glass  dangled  at  the  end  of  a 
silken  cord.  He  wore  a  light  mustache,  which  had 
evidently,  been  colored  within  a  recent  period,  and 
every  hair  on  his  head  was  adjusted  with  the  nicest 
care.  If  I  had  met  him  in  the  street  I  should  have 
called  him  a  dandy  without  any  compunction  of  con- 
science. I  wish  to  say  that  I  have  since  seen  a  live 
duke  and  a  live  earl ;  but  both  of  them,  though  they 
looked  and  acted  like  gentlemen,  were  very  plainly 
dressed. 

"He's  a  swellish-looking  fellow  —  isn't  he?"  said 
Waddie,  as  he  joined  me  in  the  parlor. 
15 


226  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  The  chief  end  of  man  with  him  is  to  keep  up  ap- 
pearances," I  replied. 

"  I  think  I  have  seen  that  fellow  before." 

"  So  do  I,  but  I  can't  make  him  out." 

"Did  you  get  a  good  view  of  him,  Wolf?" 

"I  only  obtained  a  single  glance  at  his  face  when 
he  came  in ;  but  I  pity  Miss  Dornwood  if  she  is  com- 
pelled to  throw  herself  away  upon  such  a  puppy  as  he." 

"  That  match  will  be  broken  up,  I  think." 

"  Did  you  see  him  up  stairs,  Waddie  ? " 

"  "No.  I  knocked  at  his  door,  and  satisfied  myself  he 
was  in  his  room ;  but  I  cleared  out  as  soon  as  he  an- 
swered me.  I  did  not  let  him  see  me  when  he  came 
out." 

"  Where  is  Captain  Synders  now  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  told  him  to  stand  by  the  door  when  I  came  in, 
and  he  is  all  ready  to  pounce  upon  his  victim." 

"  Here  comes  Mr.  Overton,"  I  added,  as  his  lordship 
turned  and  walked  over  to  the  place  where  Mrs.  Over- 
ton was  seated. 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  have  not  your  name,"  said  Mr, 
Overton. 

«  Captain  Penniman,"  I  replied. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TTCAYGA.  227 

I  walked  with  hirn  into  the  immediate  presence  of 
his  august  lordship. 

"Lord  Palsgrave,  Captain  Penniman,"  said  Mr. 
Overton. 

His  lordship  had  adjusted  his  eye-glass  as  he  raised 
his  head  from  the  lady. 

"  Captain  Penniman ! "  exclaimed  he ;  and  his  face 
turned  as  red  as  a  blood  beet. 

"  Nick  Van  Wolter ! "  I  almost  shouted,  as  I  recog- 
nized the  distinguished  nobleman.  "I  hope  your 
lordship  is  quite  well." 

"By  the  great  horn  spoon!  It  is  Nick 'Van  Wol- 
ter!" cried  Waddie. 

"Do  you  know  these  persons,  Mr.  Overton?"  said 
his  lordship,  recovering  his  self-possession,  and  adjust- 
ing his  eye-glass  with  particular  care. 

"  I  do  not." 

"  Don't  you  know  me,  Lord  Nick  Van  Wolter  ?  " 
I  asked,  laughing  heartily  at  the  airs  of  his  lordship. 

"  Certainly  not,"  he  answered. 
.  "  Then  I  have  the  advantage  of  your  lordship." 

"  So  have  I,"  added  Waddie ;  "  and  that's  two 
against  one." 


228  BEAB   AND   FORBEAB,    OR 

"Who  are  these  persons?"  demanded  his  lordship, 
still  squinting  at  us  through  his  eye-glass. 

"  I  don't  know  them ;  but  one  of  them  informs  me 
that  he  knows  where  Miss  Dornwood  is,  and  is  willing 
to  inform  your  lordship,"  replied  Mr.  Overton. 

"I  am  that  person,  and  I  shall  be  happy  to  give 
his  lordship  all  the  information  in  my  power,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"  What  do  you  know  of  the  lady  ?  "  asked  his  lord- 
ship, in  supercilious  tones. 

"  She  went  down  the  lake  in  the  Belle  last  night 
—  his  lordship  knows  the  Belle  very  well." 

"  The  belle  —  pray,  sir,  do  you  refer  to  Miss  Dorn- 
wood ?  "  said  Lord  Palsgrave,  squinting  at  me  through 
the  glass. 

"  I  do  not.  I  refer  to  the  sloop  boat  Belle,  in  which 
your  lordship  has  sailed  more  than  once." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  fellow  ?  " 

"  Come,  Nick,  this  farce  is  played  out." 

"Nick!  What  do  you  mean,  fellow,  by  applying 
such  an  insulting  epithet  to  me?"  exclaimed  his 
lordship. 

"  I  hope  you  will  treat  Lord  Palsgrave  with  proper 
respect,"  interposed  Mr.  Overton. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OP   LAKE   ITCAYGA.         229 

"  Well,  sir,  I  happen  to  know  that  Lord  Palsgrave 
and  Nick  Van  Wolter,  the  son  of  the  present  captain 
of  the  steamer  Ucayga,  are  one  and  the  same  person. 
In  other  words,  Mr  Overton,  he  is  a  humbug." 

"  Fellow !  "  ejaculated  his  lordship.  "  How  dare  you 
insult  me  ?  " 

"  O,  I  dare,  if  you  call  the  simple  truth  an  insult," 
I  replied. 

"I  will  not  endure  this  insolence,"  said  his  lordship, 
rushing  towards  the  door. 

"  Yes,  you  will,"  I  interposed,  placing  myself  before 
him. 

"  I  will  call  the  landlord,  and  have  you  ejected  from 
the  premises." 

"Not  yet.  I  will  send  for  the  landlord,  and  save 
you  that  trouble.  Waddie,  will  you  call  him?"  and 
I  nodded  to  him  to  indicate  that  Captain  Synders 
might  also  be  introduced. 

By  this  time  there  was  a  great  excitement  in  the 
parlor.  The  guests  of  the  house  who  were  waiting 
for  dinner  had  become  interested  in  the  affair.  Nick 
Van  Wolter,  while  he  still  attempted  to  maintain  his 
assumed  character,  was  evidently  very  much   discon- 


230  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

certed,  and  was  thinking  how  he  should  get  out  of 
the  room,  and  make  his  escape.  When  Captain  Syn- 
ders  entered  the  parlor,  his  jaw  fell. 

"Nick  Van  Wolter,  as  true  as  you  live,"  said  the 
constable,  as  he  came  in,  Waddie  having  previously 
informed  him  who  the  victim  was. 

"  Captain  Penniman,  you  promised  to  tell  his  lord- 
ship where  Miss  Dornwood  *  is,"  interposed  Mr.  Over- 
ton. 

"  I  am  entirely  willing  to  do  so,"  I  replied.  "  But 
I  am  surprised  to  find  that  his  lordship  does  not  re- 
member the  Belle.  Why,  when  his  lordship  and  the 
other  gentleman  —  who,  I  believe,  does  not  pretend  to 
be  a  lord  —  were  crossing  the  lake  last  night,  after  mid- 
night, the  Belle  actually  ran  into  his  boat.  I  will  add 
that  Miss  Dornwood  was  on  board  of  the  Belle  at  the 
time,  though  she  was  asleep  in  the  cabin." 

"His  lordship  in  a  boat?"  repeated  Mr.  Overton. 

"Exactly  so;  and  if  his  lordship  will  pardon  the 
freedom  of  my  speech,  he  and  the  other  gentleman 
—  who  is  not  a  lord  —  robbed  the  Centreport  Bank 
of  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  dollars." 

"  Robbed  a  bank ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Overton. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCATGAo         231 

Lord  Palsgrave's  face  was  deadly  pale,  and  his  frame 
quivered  with  emotion.  • 

"  His  lordship  is  well  acquainted  with  Captain  Syn- 
ders,  constable  of  Centreport,  who  is  here  for  the  pur- 
pose of  arresting  him." 

"  O,  yes !  I  know  his  lordship  like  a  book,"  replied 
the  constable.  "  I  have  known  him  for  a  good  many 
years,  and  I'm  sorry  to  say,  I  never  knew  much  good 
of  him." 

At  this  moment  the  gong  for  dinner  sounded ;  but 
none  of  the  guests  in  the  parlor  manifested  any  dis- 
position to  regard  the  summons. 

"  I  have  heard  enough  of  this  nonsense.  Mrs.  Over- 
ton, allow  me  to  escort  you  to  the  table,"  said  his 
lordship,  trying  to  stiffen  his  joints  again,  as  he 
stepped  up  to  the  lady,  and  extended  his  arm  to  her. 

"  I  hope  Mrs.  Overton  will  excuse  your  lordship,  for 
we  have  not  finished  our  business  yet,"  I  remarked,  as 
the  constable  stepped  up  to  his  victim. 

His  lordship  was  evidently  very  much  disgusted  and 
disheartened. 


232  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE    END    OF   LORD    PALSGRAVE. 

K  "1       ANDLORD,  I  have  been  outrageously  insult- 

H  A  ed  in  your  house,  and  if  you  do  not  instantly 
expel  these  insolent  persons,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  leave 
myself,"  said  Lord  Palsgrave,  approaching  the  landlord, 
who  had  just  arrived  at  the  scene  of  the  excitement. 

"Not  just  yet,  I  guess,"  replied  Captain  Synders, 
who  did  not  permit  his  victim  to  get  out  of  the  reach 
of  his  arm. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  this  business,"  replied  mine 
host.  "  Captain  Synders  is  a  constable,  and  I  presume 
he  knows  what  he  is  about." 

"  I  do  know  just  what  I'm  about,"  added  the  con- 
stable/ 

"I  think  it  is  quite  proper  for  the  officer  to  show 
his  warrant,"  added  the  landlord. 

"I  haven't  any  warrant;  but  we  don't  let  a  bank 
robber  escape  for  the  want  of  one." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    XJCATGA.         233 

"At  least  you  ought  to  show  some  ground  for  ar- 
resting this  gentle  man." 

"  I'm  going  to  search  him,  and  if  I  don't  find  twenty 
or  thirty  thousand  dollars  in  bills  of  the  Centreport 
Bank  upon  him,  I  shall  be  willing  to  wait  till  I  get 
a  warrant,  before  I  take  him." 

"  Search  me !  Do  you  think  I  will  submit  to  such 
an  unheard-of  indignity  ?  "  demanded  his  lordship, 
stamping  his  foot  with  rage,  which,  however,  was 
manufactured  for  the  occasion. 

"I  guess  you  will,  Nick,"  quietly  replied  the  con- 
stable. 

"  Don't  call  me  Nick,  fellow,"  foamed  the  victim. 

"  Captain  Penniman,  before  you  proceed  to  extreme 
measures  in  my  house,  I  hope  you  will  give  me  some 
assurance  that  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  person," 
interposed  the  landlord. 

"I  demand  it  as  my  right,"  added  Lord  Palsgrave. 
"  I  will  appeal  to  the  British  minister  at  Washington, 
who  is  a  particular  friend  of  my  father." 

"  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  satisfy  you,  jrnd  all  present, 
that  there  is  no  mistake  in  regard  to  the  person,"  I 
replied.     "  A  man   who   called    himself   Schleifer  — 


234  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

though  that  is  probably  not  his  real  name  —  was 
taken  out  of  a  burning  canal-boat  on  the  lake,  Tast 
evening,  by  our  party.  That  man  was  one  of  the 
bank  robbers." 

"I  never  saw  or  heard  of  such  a  man,"  protested 
Lord  Palsgrave,  violently.  4 

"  I  beg  his  lordship's  pardon,  but  he  rode  away  from 
the  stable  of  this  hotel  with  that  man.  The  stable- 
keeper  assured  me  the  person  who  went  with  him  was 
Lord  Palsgrave.  I  am  sure  they  went  off  together. 
The  other  man  has  been  arrested." 

I  saw  that  his  lordship  was  startled  by  this  infor- 
mation. 

"  Did  you  recognize  Lord  Palsgrave  in  the  vehicle 
with  the  other  man  ?  "  asked  the  landlord. 

"  I  did  not,  for  I  could  not  see  his  face,"  I  replied. 
"  But  I  did  recognize  the  man  who  has  been  arrested, 
and  the  stable-keeper  said  the  other  one  was  his  lord- 
ship." 

"As  you  did  not  identify  Lord  Palsgrave  yourself, 
there  may  still  be  some  mistake." 

"  There  is  a  mistake,"  said  his  lordship,  warmly. 

"Further,  this  person  is  not   Lord  Palsgrave,  but 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  235 

Nick  Van  Wolter,  the  son  of  Captain  Van  Wolter 
of  the  Ucayga.  Here  are  three  of  us  who  have 
known  him  for  years." 

"  If  that's  the  case,  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  added 
the  landlord.  - 

"Come,  Nick,  let's  see  what  you  have  in  your 
pockets,"  said  Captain   Synders. 

"Landlord,  will  you  suffer  this  indignity  to  be 
inflicted   upon   me   in   your  house  ? "  appealed  Nick. 

"I  haven't  anything  more  to  say  about  it.  Din- 
ner is  ready,  ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  replied. 

But  no  one  was  disposed  to  dine  while  the  issue 
was  pending. 

"Mr.  Overton,  I  assure  you  this  is  an  outrage," 
protested  Nick. 

"If  you  are  not  what  you  represented  yourself 
to  be,  I  have  no  sympathy  with  you,"  rejjlied  the 
gentleman  addressed,  who  evidently  thought  it  ne- 
cessary to  free  himself  from  any  suspicion  of  com- 
plicity with  the  bank  robber. 

Nick  glanced  around  the  room  with  all  the  dig- 
nity he  could  summon  to  his  aid,  and  then  made  a 
leap  towards  one   of  the  open  windows.    The  vigi- 


236  BEAR   AND   F0EBEAE,   OE 

lant  constable  was  too  quick  for  him,  and  placed  a 
heavy  hand  upon  him. 

"Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Nick,"  said  the  officer,  tak- 
ing from  his  pocket  a  pair  of  handcuffs. 

"What  have  you  there?"  demanded  Nick. 

"Only  a  pair  of  irons!" 

"Irons!  Has  it  come  to  this?  They  will  pierce 
my  soul ! "  exclaimed  his  lordship,  who  had  evidently 
borrowed  this  fine  expression,  as  he  had  his  knowl- 
edge of  heraldry,  from  the  novels  he  had  read. 

"They  won't  touch  your  soul,  Nick;  I'm  only  go- 
ing to  put  them  on  your  wrists,  so  that  you  will 
hold  still,  and  not  jerk  about  so,"  added  the  con- 
stable, as,  with  some  force,  he  snapped  the  irons 
upon  his  prisoner.  "Now,  we  want  to  know  what 
you  have  in  your  pockets,  Nick.  It's  no  use  to 
jerk;  you  can't  get  away." 

Captain  Synders  searched  his  pockets,  but  did  not 
find  anything  to  implicate  him  in  the  robbery;  but 
he  took  possession  of  a  bunch  of  keys,  which  he 
handed  to  me,  and  requested  me  to  examine  the 
prisoner's  effects  in  his  room.  The  landlord  went 
with  us,  and  we  opened  his   trunk. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  237 

"  These  are  the  clothes  he  had  on  last  night,"  said  I, 
taking  from  the  trunk  a  tweed  suit.  "  You  see  they 
are  very  much  soiled  with  smut  and  oil." 

"  Do  you  find  any  tools  ?  "  asked  the  landlord. 

"No;  I  think  the  other  robber  provided  them,"  I 
replied,  as  I  pulled  all  the  clothing  out  of  the 
trunk. 

In  the  bottom  of  it  I  found  a  packet  dene  up  in 
brown  paper.  It  was  about  the  length  and .  width 
of  a  bank  note,  and  I  was  sure  it  contained  money. 
I  opened  it. 

"There's  no  mistake  about  that,"  said  the  land- 
lord, as  I  came  to  the  bills.  "  Centreport  Bank,"  he 
added,  looking  at  the  face  of  the  notes. 

"I  was  sure  of  my  man.  See  here,"  I  replied, 
pointing  to  the  address  of  the  cashier  on  the  brown 
paper,  which  had  probably  enclosed  some  article 
sent  to  Mr.  Barnes  at  the  bank. 

"  That's  a  pile  of  money,"  added  the  landlord,  as 
I  turned  over  the  notes. 

"I  judge,  from  what  the  other  robber  said,  that 
there  must  be   twenty  or  thirty  thousand  dollars." 

We  returned  to  the  parlor,  and  exhibited  the  re- 


238 

suit  of  the  search.  There  was  no  longer  any  doubt 
as  to  the  guilt  of  his  lordship,  and  the  guests  went 
to  their  dinner,  congratulating  themselves,  perhaps, 
that,  after  all,  Lord  Palsgrave  was  not  "the  biggest 
toad  in  the  puddle."  Mr.  Overton,  however,  did 
not  go  with  them,  but  paced  the  room  in  high  ex- 
citement. It  was  easy  to  understand  that  the  sit- 
uation was  very  far  from  being  agreeable  to  him. 

"Well,  I  suppose  we  may  as  well  be  getting 
back  to  Centreport  as  fast  as  possible,"  said  Captain 
Synders,  who  was  probably  in  a  hurry  to  march  his 
prisoner  in  triunrph  into  the  town. 

"  His  lordship  has  not  dined  yet,"  suggested  Waddie. 

"  I  don't  want  any  dinner,"  said  Nick,  bursting  into 
tears,  as  the  extent  of  his  reverses  crowded  upon 
his  mind. 

Half  an  hour  before,  every  one  treated  him  with 
profound  respect  and  great  consideration;  now  every 
one  despised  him,  and  looked  down  upon  him  with 
contempt.  His  tears  were  moving,  and,  as  he  had 
laid  aside  his  lordly  airs,  .we  were  not  disposed  to 
ridicule  him.  If  he  had  been  sincerely  repentant 
over  his  crime,  instead  of  being  sorry  for  its  mere 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPEE   OF   LAKE    UCATGA.  239 

exposure,  we  could  have  pitied  and  sympathized 
with  him. 

"Take  me  away  from  here  as  quick  as  you  can," 
added  Nick.  "I  hope  you  will  let  me  go  to  my 
room  and  change  my  clothes." 

"  That  suit  is  good  enough,"  replied  the  constable. 

"  I  would  rather  not  go  to  Centreport  in  this  dress." 

Waddie  and  I  interfered  in  his  favor,  for  we  were 
not  disposed  to  increase  his  suffering,  and  the  constable 
consented  to  take  him  to  his  room  to  clothe  himself 
in  a  more  becoming  suit. 

"Captain  Penniman,  you  have  not  told  me  yet 
where  Miss  Dornwood  is,"  said  Mr  Overton. 

"  I  did  not  agree  to  tell  you,  but  only  your  friend,"  I 
replied. 

"He  is  not  my  friend  now.  He  is  an  impostor," 
added  Mr.  Overton,  warmly. 

Nick  glanced  at  him  as  he  uttered  these  words, 
and  appeared  to  regard  the  epithet  as  very  unkind 
from  him. 

"Tell  him,  Wolf,"  said  Waddie. 

"  Miss  Dornwood  is  at  Mr.  Pinkerton's,  in  Ruoara," 
I  added. 


240  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,   OR 

The  guardian  bit  his  lip,  and  seemed  to  be  very 
much  disconcerted.  His  plans  for  the  fortune,  as  well 
as  those  of  Nick,  were  doubtless  very  much  deranged. 
He  said  no  more,  and  Captain  Synders  conducted'  his 
prisoner  to  his  room.  As  the  injury  which  Tom 
Walton  had  received  rendered  it  doubtful  whether 
we  should  return  to  complete  my  vacation  in  this 
part  of  the  lake,  I  concluded  that  I  would  take  my 
bear  home  in  the  Belle.  I  promised  to  meet  the  rest 
of  our  party  at  the  boaf  in  a  short  time,  and  hastened 
over  to  Captain  Portman's.  I  found  him  at  home; 
and,  as  we  walked  out  to  the  quarters  of  Bruin,  he 
told  me  he  had  another  bear  on  his  hands. 

"Another!"  I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  the  twin  brother  of  mine,"  replied  Captain 
Portman.  "Major  Tompkins,  a  friend  of  mine  in 
Hitaca,  brought  them  down  from  the  woods,  where 
an  old  hunter  had  reared  them  as  pets.  They  amused 
him  so  much  that  he  bought  them  to  keep  in  his  gar- 
den ;  but  the  illness  of  his  wife  compelled  him  to  go  to 
Europe,  and  as  he  expected  to  be  absent  two  or  three 
years,  he  gave  one  to  my  neighbor,  Mr.  Walker,  and 
the  other  to  me.    Mine  has  never  been  cross,  though 


THE   YOTJNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         241 

they  say  the  other  one  has  been  a  little  ugly ;  but  I 
found  they  had  almost  choked  him  by  buckling  the 
strap  too  tight  around  his  neck.  He  has  been  as 
pleasant  as  a  kitten  since  he  has  been  here.  Now, 
Wolf,  if  you  want  both  of  them,  you  shall  have  them." 

I  did  not  want  both  of  them,  and  I  was  rather 
embarrassed  by  the  offer;  but  when  we  reached  the 
quarters  of  the  two  bears.  I  changed  my  mind.  I  saw 
them  play  together,  and  I  laughed  till  my  sides  ached 
at  their  gambols.  It  was  a  pity  to  part  two  such  ex- 
cellent friends,  and  I  decided  to  accept  Captain  Port- 
man's  offer.  I  stepped  up  to  the  one  whose  acquaint- 
ance I  had  made  before.  He  appeared  to  recognize 
me,  stood  up,  and  presented  his  paw.  The  other  had 
been  trained  in  like  manner,  and  performed  the  same 
trick.  I  shook  hands  with  them,  and  found  they  were 
both  ready  for  a  frolic,  in  which,  however,  I  had  not 
time  to  engage. 

I  told  the  two  men  whom  Captain  Portman  called 
where  the  Belle  lay,  and  they  led  the  bears  down  to 
the  lake,  while  their  employer  walked  with  me.  I 
related  to  him  the  particulars  of  the  bank  robbery 
and  the  capture  of  the  robbers.  He  was  very  much 
16 


242  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

astonished  to  learn  that  the  lord  at  the  hotel  was 
one  of  the  criminals. 

When  we  reached  the  lake,  I  found  Captain  Synders 
and  Waddie  with  the  prisoner,  who  was  still  in  irons. 
The  constable  was  very  impatient,  and  when  he  saw 
the  two  bears,  which  were  to  be  his  fellow-passengers, 
he  declared  he  would  not  go  in  the  boat  with  them. 
Indeed,  I  found  myself  that  two  bears  were  rather  too 
many  for  the  space  the  Belle  afforded;  but  Captain 
Portman  relieved  me  of  the  difficulty  by  promising 
to  send  one  of  his  men  to  Middleport  with  them  in 
the  steamer  the  next  day. 

Captain  Synders  embarked  his  prisoner,  an<J  we 
were  soon  driving  down  the  lake.  Nick  Van  Wolter 
was  the  image  of  despair.  His  brilliant  calculations 
for  the  future  had  utterly  failed,  and  instead  of  marry- 
ing an  heiress,  he  was  to  spend  a  long  time  in  the  pen- 
itentiary. I  have  no  doubt  he  was  willing  to  believe 
that  "  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF  LAKE   ITCAYGA.         243 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   ADVENTURES   OP   NICK   VAN   WOLTER. 

"  %  \'TOJjF'i  you  have  been  a  thorn  in  my  path,"  said 
f  f      Nick  Van  Wolter,  as  the  Belle  stood  down 
the  lake. 

"Do   you  regard  me  as  the  author  of  your  mis- 
fortunes ?  "  I  inquired. 

"Certainly  I  do." 

"  You  are  mistaken.  You  are  the  author  of  them 
yourself,  Nick." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  Everything  was  going  very  well 
with  me  till  you  came  up  here,"  he  added,  bitterly. 

"I  did  not  instigate  you  to  rob  the  bank." 

"No;  but  I  should  have  got  off  if  you  had  not 
turned  up." 

"  You  don't  seem  to  think  that  your  crimes  are  the 
cause  of  your  misfortunes,  Nick.  If  you  had  been  an 
honest  and  upright  young  man,  I  could  not  possibly 
have  done  you  any  harm." 


244  BEAR   AND   FOEBEAE,   OB 

"That  may  be  true,  but  you  have  upset  all  my 
calculations." 

"You  should  not  have  had  any  such  calculation 
as  the  robbing  of  a  bank." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  it  will  not  make  any  difference 
now.  This  is  the  end  of  me,"  he  replied^  as  the  tears 
filled  his  eyes  again.  "  Ten  or  twenty  years  in  prison 
is  not  a  pleasant  thing  to  think  of." 

"You  ought  to  have  thought  of  that  before  you 
robbed  the  bank." 

"  Of  course  I  had,  but  I  didn't.  I  hadn't  the  least 
idea  that  I  should  be  detected.  I  didn't  think  it  was 
possible ;  and  it  wouldn't  have  been,  if  you  had  kept 
out  of  the  way." 

"You  were  blind,  Nick.  Murder  will  out.  Those 
who  commit  great  crimes  are  almost  always  discovered. 
I  don't  believe  a  man  who  commits  a  crime  has  more 
than  one  chance  in  a  hundred  of  escaping  the  con- 
sequence of  it,  even  in  this  world,"  I  added,  warmly. 

"  Do  you  think  any  one  would  have  suspected  me  of 
robbing  the  bank  if  you  had  been  out  of  the  way, 
Wolf?" 

"  I  think  it  would  have  come  out.    There  is  always 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         245 

a  screw  loose  somewhere  in  this  kind  of  business. 
You  did  not  know  I  was  near  the  hotel  till  Mr. 
Overton  introduced  me." 

"  Yes,  I  did ;  I  saw  you  yesterday  afternoon,  when 
you  landed  at  the  grove.  I  saw  Waddie  coming  to- 
wards the  place  when  Miss  Dornwood  and  myself 
were  walking.  I  was  afraid  he  would  see  me,  and  I 
told  the  lady  I  would  get  a  team  and  drive  her  along 
the  shore  road,  if  she  would  wait  where  she  was." 

"We  saw  you  hastening  towards  the  hotel,"  said 
"Waddie. 

"  I  heard  Miss  Dornwood  scream,  and  saw  the  bear 
before  her,  but  I  could  not  return  because  you  were 
there.    I  stepped  back  into  the  grove,  and  saw  all  that 


"  And  you  expected  to  marry  Miss  Dornwood  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  Yes,  I  expected  to  do  so,  though  she  refused  me 
once.  Mr.  Overton  assured  me  he  could  make  it  all 
right,  and  I  had  no  doubt  he  would.  The  girl  was 
pretty  and  interesting." 

"Did  Mr.  Overton  know  you  were  not  what  you 
represented  yourself  to  be  ?  "  I  inquired,  finding  that 
Nick  was  disposed  to  be  communicative. 


246  BEAR   AND   FORBEAE,   OR 

"  Of  course  I  never  told  him  who  I  really  was ;  but, 
after  the  talk  we  had  together  at  Cape  May,  I  think  he 
understood  the  matter  well  enough.  It  was  very  fine 
for  him  to  call  me  an  impostor,  after  we  had  under- 
stood each  other  for  a  month,"  replied  Nick,  sourly; 
and  he  seemed  to  be  as  much  disgusted  with  Mr. 
Overton  as  with  me. 

"You  had  an  understanding  with  him,  then?" 

"It  was  not  in  black  and  white;  but  I  knew  what  he 
meant,  and  he  knew  what  I  meant." 

"What  did  he  mean?"   I  asked. 

Nick  hesitated,  and  looked  in  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  as  if  considering  whether  he  should  answer  the 
question  or  not. 

"I  think  Mr.  Overton  has  used  me  in  a  shabby 
manner,"  said  he,  at  last.  "  He  did  not  even  offer 
to  help  me  out  of  my  trouble,  but  called  me  an  im- 
postor. I  don't  know  that  I  am  under  any  obligation 
to  conceal  his  tricks." 

"  If  he  means  any  wrong  towards  Miss  Dornwood, 
you  ought  not  to  conceal  it,"  added  Waddie. 

"  She  is  a  good  girl,  and  I  liked  her.  I  don't  wish 
her  any  harm ;  and  that  is  what  Mr.  Overton  means. 
He  intends  to  rob  her  of  her  fortune." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         247 

"  Are  you  sure  of  that,  Nick  ?  " 

"I  am.  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  story,  Wolf;  and  if 
you  have  a  chance  to  do  me  a  favor,  I  hope  you  will 
do  it." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  do  anything  that  is  right  for 
you,"  I  replied. 

"I  don't  want  to  be  paraded  through  the  streets 
of  Centreport,  and  stared  at  by  all  the  folks  I  used 
to  know,"  said  Nick,  glancing  at  the  constable,  as 
though  he  knew  him  well  enough  to  understand  that 
he  would  make  the  most  of  his  victim. 

The  prisoner  evidently  expected  me  to  save  him 
from  this  painful  exhibition,  and  I  was  willing  to  do 
so  if  it  was  in  my  power. 

"  I  do.n't  owe  Mr.  Overton  anything,  certainly,"  con- 
tinued Nick.  "I  could  have  choked  him  when  he 
introduced  you  to  me,  Wolf." 

"Didn't  he  speak  to  you  beforehand  about  me?" 
I  asked. 

"  Not  a  word.  Do  you  think  I  should  have  showed 
myself  to  you?  Not  at  all.  If  I  had  known  you 
were  in  the  honse,  or  anywhere  near  it,  I  should  have 
taken  myself  off.      When  I  came  back  in  the  morning, 


248  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

Mr.  Overton  told  me  your  boat  was  gone,  and  he  could 
not  find  any  of  the  party  who  belonged  to  her.  This 
made  me  perfectly  easy.  I  was  going  to  New  York 
this  afternoon,  and  I  had  no  more  idea  of  seeing  you 
than  I  had  of  meeting  the  Queen  of  England." 

"By  the  way,  Nick,  how  did  you  get  back  to  the 
hotel?"  inquired  Waddie,  who  had  been  much  mys- 
tified on  this  subject.  "  We  sent  two  men  by  the 
upper  road,  and  Captain  Synders  and  myself  came  by 
the  shore  road." 

"  When  I  met  Cutter  last  night  —  " 

"Who?" 

"Cutter  —  the  man  who  went  down  to  Centreport 
with  me." 

"  Schleifer,"  I  added. 

"  He  has  as  many  names  as  a  Spanish  Infante,"  said 
Nick.  "  When  I  met  him,  we  changed  our  plans.  He 
was  to  go  to  Middleport  as  quietly  as  he  could,  and 
took  a  canal-boat,  so  as  not  to  let  many  people  see  him. 
You  know  how  he  happened  to  come  ashore  here.  I 
was  to  meet  him  on  the  wharf  at  Middleport,  as  soon 
as  everything  was  still,  and  I  intended  to  drive  down 
after  dark,  so  that  no  one  could  see  me.     After  Miss 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  249 

Dornwood  came  back  to  the  hotel,  and  Mr.  Overton 
had  locked  her  into  her  room,  I  went  down  to  the  bar 
to  get  a  glass  of  wine,  for  I  was  alarmed,  and  wanted 
something  to  raise  my  spirits.  I  met  Cutter  there,  and 
he  decided  to  ride  with  me  to  Middleport. 

"  I  took  a  team,  and  told  the  stable-keeper  I  should 
not  be  back  till  late,  if  I  returned  before  morning.  I 
^rove  to  Highlandville,  where  we  put  the  team  up  at 
one  stable,  and  hired  a  horse  and  buggy  at  another. 
At  Middleport,  where  we  arrived  at  half  past  eleven,  I 
put  the  team  in  the  shed  at  the  store  near  the  head  of 
the  wharf.  I  knew  just  where  to  find  a  boat,  and  we 
started  to  cross  the  lake.  In  the  darkness  I  made  out 
a  sail-boat,  going  through  the  Narrows.  She  was  close 
aboard  of  us  when  I  discovered  her.  Then  the  sail- 
boat kept  away  a  little,  and  ran  into  us." 

"  Did  you  know  what  boat  it  was  ?  "  asked  Waddie. 

"  I  did  not.  I  knew  the  Belle  was  up  the  lake,  and 
it  did  not  occur  to  me  that  it  was  she,  even  when  the 
fireworks  blazed  up.  We  ought  to  have  given  up  the 
job  then,  but  Cutter  said  it  was  all  right.  We  got  out 
of  the  way  as  quick  as  possible.  We  walked  over  to 
the  Institute,  and  soon  saw  the  sail-boat  go  down  the 


250  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

lake.  We  were  satisfied  then,  and  went  to  the  bank. 
We  approached  the  building  by  the  back  way,  and  did 
the  job.  It  took  so  long  to  cut  the  hole  through  the 
door,  that  we  did  not  finish  till  nearly  daylight;  and 
even  then  we  heard  the  porter  in  the  building. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  commotion,  and  we 
realized  that  our  work  had  been  discovered.  I  led  the 
way  to  the  steam-mill  by  the  back  alleys,  lioping  to, 
find  a  boat  there.  We  were  disappointed,  and  as  there 
was  no  one  in  the  way,  we  hastened  to  the  steamboat 
wharf.  I  jumped  into  the  tender  of  the  Grace;  but 
Cutter  said  he  would  not  leave  the  Raven,  which  lay 
there,  for  some  one  to  use  in  following  us.  "We  de- 
cided to  separate  then,  in  order  to  divide  and  bother 
our  pursuers.  I  pulled  across  the  lake,  and  got  my 
horse  at  the  shed.  I  took  the  upper  road;  but  the 
horse  was  not  fast,  and  I  soon  heard  the  rattle  of  a 
wagon  behind  me.  Seeing  a  road  into  the  woods, 
I  drove  in,  taking  care  to  remove  the  tracks  of  the 
wheels  and  the  horse,  so  that  they  might  not  attract 
the  attention  of  my  pursuers.  I  suppose  they  had 
not  heard  the  rattle  of  my  vehicle,  for  presently  they 
passed  my  hiding-place  at  a  furious  speed. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         251 

"  Resuming  the  road,  I  continued  on  my  way,  and 
reached  Highlandville  without  seeing  any  person. 
Returning  the  horse  I  had  hired  here,  I  obtained 
the  one  I  had  driven  from  the  hotel,  and  went  lei- 
surely back  without  seeing  any  of  the  pursuers.  I 
believed  I  was  all  right  then ;  and  I  should  have  been, 
if  Wolf  had  not  crossed  my  path." 

"  Did  you  divide  the  money  ?  "  asked  the  constable. 

"  No ;  we  each  took  what  we  happened  to  have. 
Cutter  carried  the  gold  in  his  bag.  We  were  to  meet 
in  New  York,  and  make  a  fair  division,  expecting  the 
newspapers  to  tell  us  how  much  the  bank  had  lost,  so 
that  neither  could  cheat  the  other." 

"  Where  have  you  been  since  we  parted  above 
Hitaca,  Nick  ?  "  I  inquired,  in  order  to  bring  him  back 
to  the  Overton  business. 

"  I  went  to  Philadelphia  first.  I  meant  to  go  into 
some  kind  of  business,  and  save  the  money  I  had ;  but, 
while  I  was  at  a  hotel  in  the  city,  I  met  Cutter,  who 
persuaded  me  to  visit  a  gambling  saloon,  where  I  lost 
about  half  of  my  money.  I  found  that  Cutter  was 
employed  by  the  establishment  to  visit  the  hotel,  and 
bring  in  customers.     I  had  wit  enough  to  stop  playing 


252  BEAR   AND    FORBEAE,    OR 

when  I  found  it  was  a  losing  game.  Cutter  took  a 
fancy  to  me,  and  put  me  in  the  way  of  making  a  little 
money  at  this  gambling  house.  I  was  employed  as  ca 
young  gentleman  from  the  country.'  When  any  one 
came  in,  I  was  allowed  to  win  largely,  for  the  en- 
couragement of  other  young  men  from  the  rural 
districts,  but  of  course  my  winnings  went  back  to 
the  banker. 

"As  the  season  advanced,  a  gambling  house  was 
opened  at  Cape  May,  and  Cutter  and  myself  went 
down  to  influence  customers.  I  did  not  like  the 
business,  and  he  was  dissatisfied  with  his  salary.  He 
informed  me  that  he  had  been  a  machinist,  and 
through  many  stages  the  conversation  went  on  till 
he  told  me  he  meant  to  make  a  grand  strike  by  emp- 
tying the  vault  of  some  bank.  He  talked  to  me 
about  the  plan  for  weeks  before  I  would  consent  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  it.  Then  I  suggested  the 
Centreport  Bank.  All  this  time  we  boarded  at  the 
best  hotel,  and  no  one  except  an  occasional  victim 
knew  who  or  what  we  were.  We  bathed  in  the  surf, 
danced,  dined,  and  flourished  in  the  drawing-rooms. 

"There   was    a    rumor    about   the    hotel    that  an 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         253 

English  lord,  incog. ,  was  staying  there.  Every  one 
wanted  to  penetrate  the  mystery;  but,  if  there  was 
any  lord  there,  he  kept  his  own  secret.  As  a  joke, 
Cutter  whispered  confidentially  to  some  of  the  guests 
that  I  was  the  lord.  I  soon  found  that  I  was  treated 
with  great  consideration,  though,  as  my  friend  had  not 
told  me  what  he  was  about,  I  did  not  understand  the 
reason.  Fathers  and  mothers  introduced  me  to  their 
daughters,  and  I  was  a  lion  in  spite  of  myself.  Among 
those  to  whom  Cutter  had  imparted  the  great  secret 
was  Mr.  Overton,  and  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss 
Dornwood.  Will  you  give  me  a  drink  of  water, 
Wolf  ?  I  feel  quite  faint,"  said  Nick,  who  was  really 
very  pale. 

I  brought  him  some  water,  and  also  some  crackers 
and  cheese,  for  I  knew  he  had  not  been  to  dinner ;  but 
he  would  not  eat. 


254  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


NICK  soon  declared  that  he  felt  better,  and 
continued  his  story.  - 
"I  was  very  much  pleased  with  Miss  Dornwood, 
especially  when  I  learned  that  she  had  a  fortune  of 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  A  few  days  after  I 
was  introduced  to  her,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  sav- 
ing her  from  drowning  while  she  was  bathing  in  the 
surf.  She  was  not  as  grateful  to  me  as  I  supposed 
she  would  be,  but  I  hoped  soon  to  win  her  regard. 
One  day  Mr.  Overton  came  into  the  gambling  sa- 
loon where  I  was  employed.  I  was  engaged  in  in- 
ducing a  man  from  the  country  to  play,  and  I  did 
not  notice  the  presence  of  the  guardian  of  Miss 
Dornwood  for  some  time.  He  knew  enough  of  the 
world  to  understand  my  position.  If  I  had  seen 
him   sooner,  I  should  not   have   committed   myself. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.        255 

But  Mr.  Overton  did  not  seem  to  have  any  less  re- 
gard for  me,  when  he  met  me  about  the  hotel, 
and  encouraged  my  advances  to  Miss  Dornwood. 

"I  told  Cutter  what  I  was  doing  in  this  direction. 
He  laughed,  and  informed  me  of  the  practical  joke 
he  had  played  upon  me.  He  advised  me  to  follow 
up  the  affair,  and  not  to  take  the  trouble  to  deny 
that  I  was  an  English  nobleman.  I  was  pleased 
with  the  attentions  bestowed  upon  me  by  the  guests, 
and  was  not  disposed  to  ruin  myself  in  their  esti- 
mation. I  continued  to  be  very  devoted  to  Miss 
Dornwood ;  and,  as  her  guardian  and  his  wife  would 
not  permit  her  to  make  other  acquaintances,  watch- 
ing her  every  moment  of  the  time,  I  was  almost 
her  only  companion.  I  gave  up  my  place  in  the 
gambling  saloon,  lest  it  should  compromise  me,  and 
I  had  plenty  of  time  to  give  to  Miss  Dornwood. 
She  seemed  to  like  me  very  well,  and  I  soon  pro- 
posed to  her;  but,  to  my  chagrin  and  astonishment, 
she  gave  me  a  decided  refusal. 

"I  did  not  believe  she  meant  it,  and  I  was  con- 
fident that  I  could  change  her  mind  in  due  time. 
After   this   she   tried   to   avoid   mej  but   I   managed 


256  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

very  carefully,  devoting  myself  quite  as  much  to 
the  guardian  as  to  the  ward.  Miss  Dornwood  cer- 
tainly treated  me  very  kindly,  though  she  was  rather 
shy.  Mr.  Overton  thought  she  was  making  too 
many  friends  at  Cape  May,  and  decided  to  spend  a 
few  weeks  at  Newport.  The  family  went  there, 
and  Cutter  and  myself  went  also.  On  the  journey 
I  thought  Miss  Dornwood  had  relented  towards  me, 
and  soon  after  our  arrival  I  had  a  talk  with  Mr. 
Overton,  in  which  I  boldly  pleaded  for  the  hand  of 
his  ward.  He  had  no  objections,  and  told  me  that, 
according  to  the  terms  of  Mr.  Dornwood's  will,  his 
ward  could  not  marry  unless  with  the  guardian's 
consent,  without  losing  three  fourths  of  her  fortune. 
"The  conversation  was  a  long  one,  for  Mr.  Over- 
ton was  very  guarded  in  his  remarks ;  but  I  un- 
derstood him  perfectly,  even  while  he  did  not  fully 
commit  himself.  He  said  that,  as  usual,  some  very 
extravagant  reports  had  been  circulated  in  regard 
to  the  extent  of  her  fortune.  He  did  not  wish  to 
have  any  mistakes  or  disappointments,  and  he  told 
me  he  would  give  me  on  our  wedding  day  fifty 
thousand    dollars.      He   wished   to   be   distinctly   un- 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF    LAKE    TJCAYGA.         257 

derstood  that  this  was  all  she  was  entitled  to;  and 
he  added  that,  as  I  was  an  English  nobleman,  money 
could  not  be  any  object  to  me.  I  did  not  deny 
that  I  was  a  lord,  and  told  him  I  was  satisfied  with 
the  dowry  of  his  ward.  I  understood  Mr.  Overton 
as  well  as  he  understood  me;  and  I  was  satisfied  I 
could  obtain  the  rest  of  Miss  Dornwood's  fortune 
after   our   marriage. 

"Life  at  Newport  made  sad  inroads  upon  my 
funds,  and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  be  replen- 
ished very  soon.  I  intended  to  obtain  my  supply 
from  the  vaults  of  the  Centreport  Bank,  and  Cut- 
ter and  I  completed  our  plans  for  the  job.  I  sug- 
gested to  Mr.  Overton  that  the  Cataract  House  was 
a  capital  place  to  spend  a  few  weeks,  when  he  spoke 
of  leaving  Newport,  and  it  was  decided  that  we 
should  go  there.  Cutter  and  I  agreed  upon  the  night 
for  the  visit  to  the  bank,  but  we  separated  before 
we  reached  the  Cataract  House.  You  know  the  rest 
of  the  story,  Wolf." 

"Did    you    really    expect    to    marry    Miss    Dorn- 
wood  ?  "  asked  Waddie,  who  appeared  to  be  disgusted 
with  the  conceit  of  Nick. 
17 


258  BEAK   AND    E0EBEAE,    OK 

"Certainly  I  did;  and  I  think  she  had  changed 
her  views  since  she  refused  me." 

"  Did  you  acknowledge  that  you   were  a  lord  ? " 

"When  we  went  to  the  Cataract  House  I  did. 
Cutter  wrote  me  some  letters,  and  insisted  that  I 
should  do  so,  because  it  would  prevent  suspicions  in 
regard   to   us." 

"I  believe  you  are  only  nineteen,  Kick:  did  you 
intend  to  marry  immediately  ? "  I  inquired,  rather 
amused  at  the  calculations  of  the   strategist. 

"No;  not  at  once.  I  expected  to  get  twenty  or 
thirty  thousand  dollars  from  the  bank,  and  to  spend 
a  year  or  two  in  Europe,  as  Mr.  Overton  talked  of 
going  there.  Well,  a  change  has  come  over  my 
dreams,"  added  Nick,  sadly,  as  he  glanced  at  the 
irons  on  his  wrists.  "I  did  not  see  how  anything 
could  go  wrong,  and  yet   everything  has  failed  me." 

His  case  was  only  a  repetition  of  the  common  ex- 
perience of  evil-doers. 

Night  came  on,  and  the  wind,  which  had  blown 
fresh  all  day,  subsided,  so  that  we  did  not  reach 
our  destination  till  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing.    Captain  Synders  took  his  prisoner  to  the  town 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         259 

lock-up  for  the  night,  and  the  next  day  conveyed 
him  to  the  county  jail,  to  await  his  examination 
and  trial. 

The  day  had  certainly  been  an  eventful  one,  and 
I  was  very  much  fatigued;  but  I  was  not  willing  to 
go  home  until  I  had  seen  Colonel  Wimpleton.  I 
was  anxious  to  know  whether  the  Union  Line  was 
to  be  broken  up,  and  the  war  between  the  two 
magnates  resumed.  I  hastened  with  Waddie  to  the 
house  of  the  great  man.  We  found  him  in  his 
library. 

"Ah,  Wolf,  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you  to-night; 
but  I  heard  at  Ucayga  that  you  had  captured  one 
o£  the  robbers,  and  recovered  part  of  the  money," 
said  he. 

"We  have  captured  both  of  the  robbers,  and  re- 
covered all  the   money,"  I  replied. 

"Indeed!     You  have   done  well." 

"I  don't  mean  to  say  I  have  done  all  this,"  I 
protested.  "  I  think  Tom  Walton  has  done  the  most, 
and  fared  the  hardest." 

"I  heard  he  was  shot  in  the  arm." 

"Yes,  sir;"  and  I  explained  the  nature  of  his 
wound. 


260  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"I  was  told  that  Waddie  and  Captain  Synders 
could  find  nothing  of  the  other  robber." 

"We  could  not;  but  Wolf  knew  just  where  to 
put  his  hand  upon  him,"  added  Waddie.  "  We  found 
him  at  the  Cataract  House;  and  who  do  you  sup- 
pose he  is,  father?" 

"  I  haven't  any  acquaintance  among  that  class  of 
people,  and  could  not   be  expected  to  know  him." 

"It  is  Nick  Van   Wolter." 

"Nick!"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  with  a  frown. 

"Yes,  sir,  it  is  Nick,  otherwise  Lord  Palsgrave," 
laughed  Waddie. 

The  colonel  was  anxious  to  learn  the  particulars 
of  the  capture  of  the  robbers,  and  Waddie  and  .1 
related  the  adventures  of  the  day.  I  delivered  to 
him  the  package  of  money  found  in  Nick's  trunk, 
which  had  been  intrusted  to  me  by  the  constable. 

"You  have  had  a  stirring  time  of  it,"  said  Colo- 
nel Wimpleton,  when  we  had  finished.  "I  have 
been  in  Ucayga  all  day,  and  did  not  know  what  was 
going  on.  I  had  not  been  in  the  house  an  hour 
when  you  came.  I  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
raising  the  money  to  pay  my  note." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         261 

"Have  you  seen  Major  Toppleton?"  I  asked,  though 
it  required  some  courage  to  ask  the  question,  for  I 
dreaded  another  explosion. 

"Seen  him!  No!"  replied  Colonel  Wimpleton, 
rising  hastily  from  his  chair,  and  beginning  to  march 
up  and  down  the  library.  "I  have  heard  from  him, 
though.  He  was  at  Ucayga  this  morning,  raising 
money,  to  prevent  me,  I  firmly  believe,  from  getting 
what  I  wanted.  There  was  almost  a  panic  in  money 
matters  at  Ucayga  to-day. .  Toppleton  got  all  he  want- 
ed, and  came  clown  by  the  ten  o'clock  train,  and  every- 
body was  short  by  the  time  I  arrived.  But  I  raised, 
the  money,  and  paid  my  note.  He  came  over  to 
see  me,  after  his  return,  I  learn,  —  to  apologize,  I 
suppose,  for  his  shabby  conduct.  He  wanted  to  see 
me  very  much,  I  am  told." 

"Perhaps  he  came  over  to  bring  you  the  money 
you  wanted,"  I  suggested,  very  mildly. 

"Not  he!"  sneered  the  colonel,  determined  to 
put  the  worst  possible  construction  on  the  actions 
of  his  former  rival. 

After  a  longer  experience  of  human  life  than  I 
had   at  that  time,  I  am   satisfied   that  it  is   always 


262  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

the  safest  way  to  credit  other  people,  especially 
friends,  with  good  intentions.  Those  who  believe 
that  others  mean  well  are  seldom  disa]3pointed ;  and 
it  is  equally  certain  that  those  who  do  not  believe 
others  mean  well,  as  seldom  fail  to  realize  their  ex- 
pectations. The  very  want  of  trust  and  confidence 
in  others  begets  suspicion  and  evil  dealing,  while 
most  people  are  ashamed  to  fall  below  what  others 
give  them  credit  for. 

"  Toppleton  is  not  the  man  I  took  him  for,"  added 
the  colonel,  after  pacing  the  room  for  a  time  in 
silence.  "As  soon  as  practicable,  Wolf,  our  boat 
must  go  through  from  Hitaca  to  Ucayga." 

"Don't  do  that,  father,"  interposed  Waddie,  as 
much  alarmed  as  I  was. 

"It  shall  be  done,  Waddie.  We  can  take  all  the 
through  travel  on  the  lake,  and  I  shall  no  longer 
put  money  into  Toppleton's  pocket." 

"But,  father,  you  judge  Major  Toppleton  too 
harshly." 

"No,  I  don't.  When  I  go  to  a  friend  in  such  an 
emergency  as  that  of  this  morning,  I  do  not  like  to 
have  him  make  excuses,  and  put  me  off,"  replied 
the  colonel,  bitterly. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         263 

"We  must  bear  and  forbear,  at  least  until  we 
know  what  others  mean." 

"So  Wolf  says;  but  I  don't  want  to  hear  any 
such  stuff,"  added  the  magnate,  angrily. 

It  was  useless  to  say  anything  more,  and  Wad- 
die  had  the  good  sense  to  hold  his  peace.  We  left 
the  room  together,  and,  tired  as  we  both  were,  we 
could  not  separate  for  the  night  till  we  had  thor- 
oughly considered   the  perilous  situation. 

"I  think  myself  it  was  rather  shabby  of  the  ma- 
jor to  leave  my  father  in  the  lurch,  after  what  had 
happened,"  said  Waddie. 

"  So  it  was,  if  he  did  leave  him  in  the  lurch ;  but 
we  must  hear  the  other  side  of  the  story.  It  appears 
that  Major  Toppleton  came  over  to  see  your  father 
this  forenoon,  after  he  had  been  to  Ucayga  to  raise 
money." 

"My  father  is  rather  hasty  in  his  conclusions 
sometimes,  and  I  hope  the  major  will  be  able  to  explain 
his  conduct." 

"It  is  doubtful  whether  he  obtains  an  opportunity 
to  explain,"  I  added. 

"We  must  be  peacemakers  again,  Wolf." 


264  BEAB   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"We  can't  do  much  in  an  affair  of  this  kind.  I 
think,  if  your  father  had  waited  a  little  longer  this 
morning,  instead  of  leaving  Middleport  without  see- 
ing the  major,  all  would  have  been  well." 

"Let  us  hope  for  the  best,  Wolf;  and  in  the 
mean  time  don't  say  a  word  about  breaking  the 
union   to  any  one." 

I  promised  to  keep  still,  and  we  separated.  I 
went  home,  crossing  the  lake  in  the  Belle;  but,  in 
spite  of  the  good  fortune  which  had  attended  our 
efforts  in  the  pursuit  of  the  robbers,  I  had  not  been 
so  .sad  for  many  a  day. 


THE  YOUNG   SKIPPER  OP  LAKE   UCAYGA.        265 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

MAJOR    TOPPLETON    EXPLAINS. 

I  SLEPT  soundly  enough  that  night,  in  spite  of 
my  anxiety  concerning  the  perilous  condition  of 
the  relations  between  the  two  sides  of  the  lake.  In 
the  morning  I  called  upon  Tom  Walton.  His  wound 
was  doing  very  well,  and  he  was  quite  comfortable. 
He  was  astonished  when  I  told  him  that  Nick  Van 
Wolter  was  the  other  bank  robber,  and  that  he  was 
Lord  Palsgrave.  But  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  see  Major 
Toppleton,  and  I  could  not  stay  long,  though  I  gave 
Tom  a  bill  of  sale  of  the  Belle,  and  received  the  pay- 
ment for  her. 

I  found  the  magnate  of  Middleport  at  home,  and  of 
course  I  had  to  tell  him  all  about  the  bank  robbers 
before  anything  could  be  said,  though  I  had  become 
rather  tired  of  the  subject,  especially  with  another  and 
more  interesting  one  uppermost  in  my  mind. 


266  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"  You  had  a  breezy  time  of  it,  Wolf,"  said  the  major. 

"  Rather  exciting,  sir." 

"Where  was  Colonel  Wimpleton  all  day?  I  could 
not  find  him." 

"  He  was  at  Ucayga,  looking  up  the  money  to  pay  a 
note  which  came  due  yesterday." 

"  Precisely  so ;  he  came  over  to  see  me  about  it  in 
the  morning.  He  was  in  a  tremendous  hurry,  and 
very  much  excited  about  the  robbery,"  added  the 
major. 

"  He  was  excited  about  something  else  when  I  saw 
him." 

"  You  don't  mean  —  " 

"  O,  no,  sir,"  I  promptly  interposed,  when  I  saw  that 
he  supposed  the  magnate  of  Centreport  had  been 
drinking  again.     "  Nothing  of  that  kind." 

"  You  understand  me.  Well,  I  am  glad  that  he  has 
not  fallen  back.     Your  remark  startled  me,  Wolf." 

"  I  am  afraid  the  colonel  is  not  as  kindly  disposed 
towards  you  as  formerly." 

"Why,  what's  the  matter?"  demanded  the  major, 
evidently  alarmed  at  my  suggestion. 

"I  think  there  is  a  misunderstanding.      He  came 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.  267 

over,  to  see  you  yesterday  morning,  and  he  thought 
you  were  not  inclined  to  assist  him  in  the  emer- 
gency." 

"  What  an  idea !  I  intended  that  his  note  should 
be  paid,  even  if  my  own  was  not,  though  I  hurried 
home  to  attend  to  the  payment  of  it.  This  is  very 
strange,"  mused  the  major.  "  I  was  not  aware  that 
I  said  or  did  anything  that  could  give  offence  to 
him." 

"I  am  confident  there  has  been  a  mistake;  but  I 
do  not  know  that  I  ought  to  repeat  anything  he  said 
to  me." 

"  In  the  interest  of  peace  and  friendship  you  may 
do  so,  Wolf.  What  did  he  say?"  asked  the  major, 
anxiously. 

"  He  said  that  when  he  informed  you  he  had  a  note 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  pay,  and  that  the  bank 
had  been  robbed,  instead  of  helping  him  out,  you  an- 
swered that  you  had  a  note  to  pay  yourself." 

"  I  certainly  did  tell  him  that  I  had  a  large  sum  to 
pay ;  but  I  also  told  him  that  I  would  see  what  could 
be  done.  I  invited  him  to  breakfast  with  me,  and  told 
him  I  would  go*  and  see  the  cashier  of  our  bank.    I 


268  BEAR   AND   FORBEAE,   OR 

did  not  suppose  he  had  any  doubt  of  my  willingness 
to  help  him ;  and  the  only  question  with  me  was,  how 
it  was  to  be  done.  He  was  in  a  desperate  hurry,  and 
could  not  wait  a  minute.  The  steamer  was  coming 
over  after  him,  before  she  went  up  the  lake  in  pursuit 
of  the  robber.  I  told  him  then  that  I  would  see  him 
on  the  wharf  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  and  hastened  to 
find  the  cashier.  He  was  not  at  home;  but  I  soon 
found  him,  and  learned  that  the  funds  in  our  bank 
were  not  sufficient  to  pay  both  notes.  I  immediately 
decided  to  raise  the  amount  needed  to  pay  the 
colonel's  note,  in  Ucayga.  I  sent  an  order  to  Lewis 
Holgate  to  get  up  steam  on  the  dummy,  and  then 
Went  as  fast  as  I  could  walk  to  the  wharf.  The  steam- 
er was  just  leaving  the  pier  when  I  came  in  sight 
of  it." 

"  The  colonel  waited  for  you  till  the  time  expired," 
I  added. 

"  I  was  not  five  minutes  behind  time.  The  absence 
of  the  cashier  had  detained  me  a  little,  but  I  could 
not  help  it.  However,  I  supposed  the  colonel  would 
return  before  eleven  o'clock  to  raise  the  money  to 
pay  his  note." 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         269 

"  He  was  very  much  excited  about  it." 

"  I  am  really  very  sorry.  Perhaps  I  did  not  speak 
as  explicitly  as  I  ought  to  have  done;  but  it  never 
occured  to  me  that  he  would  misunderstand  my  mo- 
tives. The  dummy  ran  down  to  Hitaca  as  a  special 
express  to  convey  me.  I  raised  the  money,  and 
returned  by  the  ten  o'clock  train.  The  steamer  had 
come  back  from  up  the  lake;  but  I  could  not  find 
Colonel  Wimpleton.  In  the  afternoon  I  heard  that 
he  had  gone  to  Ucayga,  and  I  was  on  the  lookout 
for  him  till  the  last  train  arrived.  The  money  has 
been  in  our  bank  since  eleven  o'clock  yesterday,  and  I 
have  a  check  for  the  amount  in  my  pocket  now." 

"  The  colonel  was  rather  too  hasty  in  his  conclusions. 
The  steamer  returned  to  Middleport  at  ten,  and  he 
took  the  train  for  Ucayga,  where  he  raised  the  money 
and  paid  the  note  himself." 

"I  regret  that  he  has  any  feeling  on  the  subject," 
added  the  major,  with  much  anxiety.  "I  must  go 
over  and  see  him." 

"  I  am  afraid  your  meeting  will  not  be  a  pleasant 
one." 

"I  will  state*'the  facts  just  as  they  are,  and  I  hope 


270  BEAR    AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

he  will  see  that  there  has  been  a  mistake.  The  Ucay- 
ga  is  coming  in,  and  the  ferry  steamer  will  start  in 
a  few  minutes." 

We  walked  down  to  the  wharf  together.  My  two 
bears  had  just  been  landed  from  the  steamer,  in 
charge  of  one  of  Captain  Portman's  men.  They 
were  very  tractable,  and  were  the  centre  of  attrac- 
tion on  the  wharf.  They  were  willing  to  shake 
hands  with  everybody,  and  seemed  to  be  enjoying 
themselves  very  much.  I  took  charge  of  one  of  them, 
while  the  man  retained  the  other,  and  we  led  them 
towards  my  father's  house,  followed  by  a  large  escort 
of  loafers  and  juveniles.  We  had  a  small  barn  on  the 
place,  in  which  we  secured  the  bears. 

My  sisters  were  very  much  afraid  of  them,  and  my 
mother  declared  she  could  not  have  the  brutes  on  the 
place ;  but  I  hoped  all  of  them  would  think  better  of 
it,  and  make  friends  with  my  pets.  After- the  man  had 
gone,  I  brought  out  my  carpenter's  tools,  and  proceed- 
ed to  fit  up  the  bam  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
bears.  The  animals  were  so  full  of  fun  they  would 
not  let  me  work,  and  I  was  obliged  to  tie  them  to 
a  tree  in   the   garden.      My  mother  and  my  sisters 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.  271 

stood  at  the  windows  of  the  house  watching  them; 
but  I  could  not  induce  them  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  my  new  friends.  When  I  found  that  my  sisters 
were  really  afraid  of  the  bears,  I  was  rather  sorry  I 
had  brought  them  home. 

While  I  was  at  work  I  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from 
Colonel  Wimpleton  and  Waddie.  As  they  entered 
the  yard,  both  bears  stood  up,  and  offered  to  shake 
hands  with  the  visitors.  Waddie  accepted  the  prof- 
fered paw,  but  the  colonel  was  more  particular  in  the 
choice  of  his  acquaintances. 

"Have  you  seen  Major  Toppleton  this  morning?" 
I  inquired  of  the  colonel. 

"  No ;  and  I  have  no  desire  to  see  him,"  replied  the 
magnate,  coldly. 

"He  went  over  to  see  you  about  nine  o'  clock." 
"  I  was  not  at  home.      Have  you   done   anything 
about  the  steamer,  Wolf?" 

"No,  sir.     What  do  you  wish  to  have  done?" 
"  Didn't  I  tell  you  yesterday  what  I  wished  to  have 
done?" 

"  I  haven't  done  anything  yet,  sir." 

"  I  told  you  to  make  the  new  arrangement." 


272  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"  I  hope  you  will  see  Major  Toppleton  before  any- 
thing is  done." 

"  I  shall  not  see  him,"  answered  the  colonel,  sourly. 
"You  may  notify  the  Railroad  Company  that  the 
present  arrangement  will  be  discontinued,  say  from 
the  first  of  next  month." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  do  as  I  am  directed,  but  I  am 
quite  sure  there  is  a  misunderstanding  between  you 
and  the  major." 

"  I  don't  care  to  argue  the  matter.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  with  these  bears,  Wolf?" 

"  I'm  going  to  keep  them  as  pets." 

At  this  moment  the  one  which  had  frightened  Miss 
Dornwood  stood  up,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  shake 
hands  with  Colonel  Wimpleton. 

"They  are  perfectly  harmless,  sir,"  said  I,  seeing 
that  the  great  man  was  in  doubt. 

"Won't  they  bite?" 

"  No,  sir." 

Thus  assured  the  colonel  took  the  offered  paw  of 
the  bear,  and  in  a  few  moments  they  were  excellent 
friends,  for  Bruin's  ways  were  very  winning.  Waddie 
was  playing  with  the  other,  and  both  my  visitors  were 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.         273 

very  much  interested  in  the  animals.  "While  they 
were  occupied  in  this  manner,  Major  Toppleton  pre- 
sented himself   in  the  yard. 

"  Good  morning,  colonel,"  said  the  major. 

"Good  morning,"  replied  the  magnate  of  Centre- 
port,  very  stiffly. 

"I  heard  you  were  here,  colonel,  and  I  came  up 
to  see  you.  I  looked  for  you  all  day  yesterday,  and 
have  been  looking  for  you  all  the  morning." 

"  Sorry  you  gave  yourself  so  much  trouble." 

I  saw  that  Major  Toppleton  was  nettled  at  the 
coldness  of  his  reception,  and  I  was  afraid  he  would 
be  angry.  As  he  approached  the  bears,  both  of  them 
rose  and  offered  their  accustomed  greeting.  The 
major  shook  hands  with  both  of  them,  for  he  had 
already  made  their  acquaintance  on  the  wharf. 
•  "  When  I  went  down  to  the  wharf  yesterday,  your 
steamer  had  been  gone  only  a  few  moments,"  con- 
tinued the  magnate  of  Middleport.  "I  was  sorry 
that  I  missed  you." 

"It  didn't  make  any  difference,"  said   the   colonel. 
"  You  will  attend  to  the  matter  of  which  I  spoke  to 
you,  Wolf,"  he  added,  edging  off  towards  the  gate. 
18 


274  BEAK    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"Perhaps  it  didn't  make  any  difference  to  you, 
but  it  did  to  me,"  continued  the  major.  "  I  am  afraid 
I  did  not,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  express 
myself  as  clearly  as  I  should  have  done." 

"  As  clearly  as  was  necessary.  I  understood  you 
perfectly,"  replied  the  colonel,  still  edging  towards 
the  gate. 

"  Then  you  understood  that  I  intended  to  raise  the 
money  you  wanted." 

"No,  I  did  not.  You  told  me  you  had  a  note  to  pay 
yourself,  and  that  was  as  much  as  to  say  you  could 
do  nothing  for  me." 

"  There  was,  indeed,  a  mistake  then  ;  and  I  am  very 
sorry  that  I  did  not  express  myself  more  clearly." 

"I  paid  my  note,  and  nothing  more  need  be  said 
about  the  matter,"  growled  Colonel  Wimpleton. 

"My  dear  colonel  —  " 

"Don't  'dear'  me  after  this." 

I  trembled  for  the  major  when  this  rude  remark  was 
uttered,  for  his  temper  was  not  always  to  be  depended 
upon,  and  certainly  the  provocation  was  very  strong. 
I  never  saw  a  better  opportunity  to  get  up  a  quarrel, 
and  nothing  but  a  little  forbearance  on  the  part  of 


THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCATGA.    275. 

the  only  one  of  the  two  who  seemed  to  be  capable 
of  exercising  this  virtue  could  ward  off  the  calamity. 
The  colonel  was  unreasonable ;  but  the  major  felt  that 
he  had  not  plainly  stated  his  intentions.  As  usual, 
there  was  blame  on  both  sides. 


276  BEAK   AND   FOEBEAE,   OE 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

BEAE   AND   FOEBEAE. 

"/"^OLOKEL  WIMPLETOST,  there    has   been  a 

V_y  misunderstanding  between  us,"  said  the  major, 
with  dignity.     "  I  feel  that  I  am  not  without  blame." 

"  I  don't  demand  any  apology,"  added  the  colonel. 

"I  wish  to  make  an  explanation.  If  after  that 
you  are  not  satisfied,  I  will  not  complain." 

"I  don't  ask  any  explanation." 

"But  I  desire  to  make  one,  if  you  will  do  me 
the  favor  to  hear  it,"  continued  Major  Topjrieton, 
taking  from  his  pocket  the  check  he  had  drawn  the 
day  before,   and  handing  it   to  the   colonel. 

"It  is  too  late,"  said  the  latter,  as  he  glanced  at 
the    check. 

"It  was  written  yesterday  at  eleven  o'clock,  and 
the  money  was  in  the  bank  to  cash  it.  If  I  failed 
to  say  yesterday  morning  that  your  note  should  be 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.        277 

paid  whether  mine  was  or  not,  I  failed  to  say  all 
that  I  felt  and   all  that  I  intended." 

"You  didn't  say  that,"  replied  the  colonel,  relax- 
ing the  frown  upon  his  brow  a  little.  "You  sim- 
ply told  me  you  had  a  note  to  pay,  but  would  see 
what  you  could  do." 

"I  ought  to  have  said  more,  for  I  meant  more. 
When  I  found  you  had  gone,  I  went  express  to 
Ucayga,  and  raised  the  money  for  you,  returning  to 
Midclleport  at  eleven." 

"Did  you  really  raise  the  money  for  me?" 

"I  did,  as  I  intended  to  do  from  the  first." 

Colonel  Wimpleton's  face  was  changed,  and  had 
almost  relaxed  into  a  smile. 

"I  didn't  understand  you,"  said  he.  "When  you 
said  you  had  a  note  to  pay,  I  took  it  as  an  excuse 
for  not  helping  me  out  of  my  difficulty." 

"I  certainly  did  not  offer  it  as  such.  I  was  think- 
ing only  of  the  manner  of  raising  the  money  for 
you.  When  I  came  back  from  Ucayga,  I  deposited 
the  money  I  had  brought  with  me,  wrote  this  check, 
and  hastened  over  to  Centreport  to  find  you.  I 
failed  to  see  you,  but  I  was  on  the  lookout  for  you 
all  the  rest  of  the  day." 


278  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

Major  Toppleton  explained  his  position  as  fully  as 
lie  had  to  me.  The  colonel  was  satisfied,  for  he 
could  not  be  otherwise,  when  he  found  that  the  for- 
mer had  done  all  that  a  friend  could  do  to  aid 
him. 

"Major,  I  wronged  you,  and  I'm  sorry  for  it," 
said  Colonel  Wimpleton.  "I  ought  to  have  given 
you  credit  for  good  intentions,  at  least.  Wolf,  you, 
needn't  attend  to  that  matter  of  which  I  spoke  to 
you." 

I  wanted  to  give  three  cheers,  and  I  should  have 
done  so,  if  I  had  not  wished  to  conceal  from  the 
major  the  length  to  which  the  colonel  had  carried 
his  resentment.  As  it  was,  I  vented  my  delight  in 
a  grand  frolic  with   the  bears. 

"Colonel,  I  am  sorry  that  I  failed  to  tell  you 
what  I  intended  to  do,"  added  the  major.  "I  don't 
blame  you  for  the  construction  you  put  upon  my 
words." 

"But  I  blame  myself.  It  all  looks  plain  enough 
to  me  now,  though  it  did  not  before.  Forgive  me, 
major,  and  I  promise  never  to  misjudge   you  again." 

"And  I  hope  you  will  forgive  the  stupid  manner 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         279 

in  which  I  answered  you  yesterday  morning,"  added 
Major  Toppleton. 

"Here  is   my  hand,  major." 

As  they  stepped  forward  to  shake  hands,  they 
came  near  the  two  bears.  Both  of  the  bruins  im- 
mediately abandoned  their  play,  stood  up,  and  each 
extended  his  paw  to  the  magnate  near  to  him. 
The  two  gentlemen  laughed  heartily  as  they  saw 
the  bears;  but  they  shook  hands  with  each  other, 
and  then  with  their  humble  imitators. 

"This  suggests  some  names  for  your  pets,  Wolf" 
said  Waddie,  laughing. 

"I  thought  of  that  before.  This  is  Beak,"  I  re- 
plied, putting  my  hand  on  the  head  of  my  first  ac- 
quaintance; "and  this  is  Foebeae,"  I  added,  taking 
the  other  by  the  paw. 

"Bear  and  Forbear,"  said  Colonel  Wimpleton. 
"You  have  preached  that  sermon  to  me  once,  Wolf; 
but  I  was  not  in  the  humor  to  hear  it.  I  appre- 
ciate the  two  bears  better  now." 

"And  you  will  bear  with  me  next  time  I  make 
a  blunder,  and  seem  to  stand  in  a  doubtful  posi- 
tion," added  Major  Toppleton. 


280  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"Most  assuredly  I  will,  if  you  forbear,  as  you 
did  to-day,  when  I  made  rude  and  ungentlemanly 
speeches  to  you." 

"  I  think  those  two  bears  will  make  a  team  which 
will  drag  any  man  through  the  world  with  peace 
and  comfort,"  I  ventured  to  add. 

"You  are  right,  Wolf.  I  must  have  those  two 
bears,"  said  the  colonel. 

"Well,  sir,  my  mother  and  sisters  are  afraid  of 
them,  and  I  don't  know  that  I  shall  be  able  to  keep 
them  here." 

"I  meant  bear  and  forbear,"  laughed  the  colonel. 

"Those  are  the  names  of  these  bears." 

"Well,  I  should  be  very  happy  to  have  the  live 
bears,  for  whenever  I  see  them,  they  will  remind 
me  of  the  lesson  I  have  learned  to-day." 

"You  have  a  nice  place  for  them  over  in  your 
grounds ;  and  I  suppose  I  can  see  them  there  when- 
ever I  wish." 

"Certainly  you  can." 

"If  they  should  get  loose  when  I  am  away,  they 
would  frighten  the  whole  neighborhood,  for  we  have 
no  man  to  see  to  them,"  I  added. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  281 

My  mother  and  my  sisters  would  be  delighted  to 
get  rid  of  them;  and  I  was  afraid  they  might  do 
mischief  in  my  absence.  Besides,  there  was  such  a 
striking  fitness  in  presenting  them  to  the  magnate 
of  Centreport  under  the  circumstances,  that  I  could 
not  have  resisted  the  inclination  to  dispose  of  them 
in  this  manner,  even  if  they  had  not  promised  to 
be  a  nuisance  to  me.  It  was  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance that  the  explanation  and  reconciliation  had 
taken  place  in  the  presence  of  the  bears,  for  the  as- 
sociation would  always  be  remembered  by  the  colonel. 

I  presented  the  bears  to  him. 

The  two  magnates  departed  together,  and  Wad- 
die  and  I  were  to  remove  Bear  and  Forbear  to 
their  new  home. 

"I  didn't  know  my  father  was  coming  here  when 
we  crossed  the  lake,"  said  Waddie.  "I  came  to  see 
you  about  another  matter." 

"What's  that?" 

Waddie  blushed. 

"I  thought  we  ought  to  go  down  to  Ruoara  and 
call  upon  Miss  Dornwood,"  said  he,  with  some  hes- 
itation. 


282  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"  Of  course  you  are  moved  in  this  matter  by  a 
sense   of  duty,"  I  laughingly  replied. 

"Not  wholly,  Wolf;  but  I  should  like  to  know 
bow  she  is  after  her  cruise." 

"No  doubt  you  would." 

"You  may  laugh  at  me  if  you  like,  Wolf;  but  I 
think  Miss   Dornwood   is  a  very  pretty  girl." 

"And  a  very  good  girl  too,  Waddie,  which  is 
more  and  better." 

"I'm  going  down  to  Ruoara,  and  wish  you  would 
go  with  me." 

"I  will." 

"We  must  get  the  Belle,  for  the  Raven,  you 
know,  is  moored  off  High  Bluff." 

We  called  upon  Tom  Walton  to  obtain  the  use 
of  the  boat,  and  then  led  the  bears  down  to  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  where  the  Belle  was  moored. 
"Bear"  went  on  board  very  readily,  but  "Forbear" 
did  not  seem  to  like  this  mode  of  conveyance,  and 
declined  to  take  the  place  assigned  to  him.  Wad- 
die,  impatient  to  reach  Ruoara,  was  disposed  to 
pitch  him  into  the  standing-room  by  force;  but  I  en- 
treated him  to  forbear.    While  he  was  hoisting  the 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OF   LAKE   TJCAYGA.         283 

mainsail,  I  coaxed  the  animal ;  and  seeing  his  brother 
so  comfortable  in  the  boat,  he  finally  yielded  his 
own  inclination  to  mine,  and  went  on  board.  I 
fastened  them  so  that  they  could  not  fall  overboard 
if  they  engaged  in  a  frolic  on  the  passage,  and 
"Waddie  pushed  off. 

When  the  Belle  began  to  jump  on  the  waves  in 
the  Narrows,  Forbear  exhibited  some  signs  of  ter- 
ror, and  was  inclined  to  make  himself  unhappy; 
but  he  soon  took  part  in  the  game  between  Bear  and 
myself,  and  we  reached  the  Centreport  shore  without 
any  difficulty.  I  found  it  was  best  to  bear  even  with  a 
bear,  and  to  forbear  as  long  as  forbearance  is  a  virtue 
—  which  is  much  longer  than  many  people  are  willing 
to  believe.  We  marched  the  interesting  couple  up 
to  a  rustic  deer  house,  in  the  grounds  of  Colonel 
Wimpleton,  which  had  been  designated  as  their  fu- 
ture abode.  We  made  them  comfortable,  and  then 
left  them  to  enjoy  life  as  they  could,  and  to  en- 
force the  great  moral  lesson  which  their  names  illus- 
trated. 

"I  meant  to  have  been  in  Ruoara  before  this 
time,"  said  Waddie,  as  he  led  the  way  to  the  lake 
at  a  pace  which  was  trying  to  my  legs. 


284  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

"What's   your   hurry,  Waddie?" 

"  I  am  afraid  Mr.  Overton  will  be  there  before  us." 

"What  if  he  is?" 

"I  wish  to  have  Miss  Dornwood  and  her  friends 
understand  all  about  her  guardian  before  he  sees  her 
again." 

"She  evidently  understands  him  quite  as  well  as 
any  one  else,"  I  replied,  as  we  embarked  in  the 
Belle,  and  Waddie  took  the  tiller. 

"We  have  the  benefit  of  Nick's  revelation,  and 
I  think  that  is  enough  to  condemn  him." 

"I  don't  think  Mck's  testimony  is  worth  much, 
though  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  all  true.  I  agree  with 
you  that  it  will  be  well  to  have  Mr.  Pinkerton  in- 
formed in  regard  to  Nick's  trade  with  him." 

"I  wonder  what  Mr.  Pinkerton  will  do?"  added 
Waddie. 

"That  will  depend  upon  what  Mr.  Overton  does. 
I  judge,  from  the  temper  of  Miss  Dornwood,  that 
she  will  refuse  to  live  with  her  guardian  again." 

"I  hope  we  shall  get  there  before  he   does." 

"Probably  we  shall.  It  was  too  late  for  him  to 
come   up  in   the  afternoon   boat  when  we  left  the 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         285 

Cataract  House  It  is  not  likely  that  he  took  the 
morning  boat  to-day,  and  we  shall  be  in  Ruoara  be- 
fore he  can  get  there,  if  he  takes  the  afternoon 
steamer." 

But  Wadclie  was  nervous  and  uneasy.  He  talked 
about  Miss  Dornwood  during  the  rest  of  the  pas^ 
sage,  which,  however,  was  not  a  long  one.  We 
landed  at  the  wharf,  and  hastened  to  the  house  of 
the  Pinkertons,  where  we  were  kindly  welcomed  by 
all,  including  Miss  Dornwood.  Mr.  Overton  had  not 
been  seen  or   heard  from. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  Wimple- 
ton,"  said  Miss  Dornwood;  "for  I  want  to  thank 
you  and  your  friend  again  for  the  kind  service  you 
rendered  me." 

"  "We  were  very  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  serve 
you,"  replied  Waddie,  blushing ;  and  I  could  not  help 
realizing  that  my  friend  was  "fatally  insnared." 

"But  where  is  my  other  friend,  the  skipper  of 
the  Belle,  as  you  called  him?"  asked  the  young 
lady. 

"  He  was  shot  in  the  arm  yesterday  by  one  of 
the  bank  robbers." 


286  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

"I  am  so  sorry!  We  heard  all  about  your  cap- 
ture of  the  robber." 

"There  was  a  report  this  forenoon  that  the  other 
robber  had  been  caught,"  said  Mr.  Pinkerton. 

"Yes,  sir;  he  was  captured  in  the  afternoon,  at 
the  Cataract  House,"  replied  Waddie.  "All  the 
money  has  been  recovered." 

"That's  very  fortunate." 

"  Who  do  you   think  the   other  robber  was,  Miss 

Dornwood  ?  "  asked  Waddie. 

« 

"I  have  no  suspicion." 

"  Lord   Palsgrave." 

"  Lord  Palsgrave ! "  exclaimed  she,  her  cheeks  red- 
dening with  confusion. 

"And  Lord  Palsgrave  turns  out  to  be  the  son  of 
the  very  worthy  commander  of  the  Ucayga  —  Nick 
Van  Wolter." 

Of  course  we  were  obliged  to  tell  the  whole 
story,  and  by  the  time  it  was  finished,  dinner  was 
ready;  and  before  we  had  finished  that,  a  servant 
announced  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Overton. 

There  was  a  prospect  of  a  lively  breeze. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPEE   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.        287 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


WADDIE  and  I,  in  the  course  of  our  narrative, 
had  fully  informed  Mr.  Pinkerton  in  regard  to 
the  relations  of  Nick  Van  Wolter  with  Mr.  Overton. 

"Now,  Captain  Penniman,  you  and  I  will  see  Mr. 
Overton.  Waddie,  if  you  will  go  to  the  office  of  my 
lawyer,  Mr.  Bayard,  and  state  to  him  all  the  facts  in 
the  case,  you  will  oblige  me  very  much,"  said  Mr. 
Pinkerton.     "In  about  half  an  hour  return  with  him." 

"I  will  do  so  with  pleasure,"  replied  Waddie. 

"  Perhaps  Miss  Dornwood  had  better  go  with  you. 
She  can  tell  a  part  of  her  story  to  better  advantage 
than  you  can." 

Waddie  was  still  better  pleased  with  this  arrange- 
ment, and  they  left  the  house  by  the  side  door,  so  as 
not  to  be  seen  by  Mr.  Overton  in  the  library.  I  fol- 
lowed Mr.  Pinkerton  into  the  presence  of  the  guardian 


288  BEAR   AND   FOEBEAE,   OR 

and  his  wife.  I  bowed  to  them  as  I  entered,  but  they 
evidently  were  not  pleased  to  see  me. 

"  I  am  informed  that  Miss  Dornwood,  my  ward,  is  in 
your  house,  sir,"  Mr.  Overton  began. 

"  Not  at  this  moment,  though  she  is  within  call,  and 
will  be  here  in  half  an  hour,"  replied  Mr.  Pinkerton. 

"  You  are  aware,  sir,  that  I  am  her  legal  guardian  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  Permit  me  to  say,  sir,  that  your  conduct  in  harbor- 
ing and  encouraging  her  in  her  present  vicious  course 
is  entirely  unjustifiable,"  continued  Mr.  Overton,  stern- 
ly and  severely. 

"  Permit  me  to  say,  sir,  that  I  take  an  entirely  differ- 
ent view  of  the  matter,"  added  Mr.  Pinkerton,  very 
courteously. 

"  Then  you  take  a  very  extraordinary  view   of  it." 

"  There  is  room  for  some  difference  of  o]3inion  on 
this  subject,  and,  until  better  informed,  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  retain  my  own  view." 

"Miss  Dornwood  ran  away  from  me.  Are  you 
aware  of  this  fact,  sir?" 

"  I  am ;  you  locked  her  into  her  room,  and  she  es- 
caped.     With  the  assistance  of  some  good  friends, 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         289 

she  came  here,  where  I  purpose  to  have  her  remain 
as  long  as  she  is  pleased  to  do  so." 

"Allow  me  to  remind  you  again,  sir,  that  I  am 
her  legal  guardian." 

"  Allow  me  to  remind  you,  sir,  that  you  have  abused 
your  office." 

"That  is  a  very  strong  statement,  Mr.  Pinkerton," 
replied  the  guardian,  who  seemed  to  be  surprised  at 
the  charge. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  it  can  be  fully  proved,  Mr.  Over- 
ton. A  young  lady  of  seventeen  is  legally  an  infant, 
but  not  morally.  The  duties  of  a  guardian  are  those 
of  a  father." 

"  I  have  endeavored  to  be  as  a  father  towards  her," 
added  Mr.  Overton,  who  was  plainly  unprepared  for 
the  step  which  Mr.  Pinkerton's  remarks  foreshadowed. 

"Do  you  think  a  father  would  lock  his  daughter 
of  seventeen  into  a  room  in  a  hotel?" 

"If  she  disobeyed  him  —  yes." 

"  Or  drag  her  by  force  through  the  grounds  of  a 
public  hotel?" 

"  The  law  would  justify  him  in  doing  so,  if  she  re- 
fused to  obey  his  reasonable  commands." 
19 


290  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

"  Perhaps  it  would ;  I  will  leave  that  matter  in  the 
hands  of  the  lawyers.  Certainly,  if  the  young  lady 
were  not  absolutely  vicious,  the  moral  sense  of  the 
community  would  not  justify  either  father  or  guardian 
in  the  use  of  force." 

"  She  is  absolutely  vicious,"  answered  the  guardian, 
boldly. 

"Sir,  you  insult  her!"  said  Mr.  Pinkerton,  indig- 
nantly. "  I  know  her  well ;  and  a  more  gentle,  mod- 
est, and  well-behaved  girl  does  not  live  in  this 
country." 

"  She  impudently  refused  to  obey  me." 

"  Only  after  you,  in  the  presence  of  the  young 
gentleman  who  had  assisted  her  in  her  peril  and  terror, 
had  treated  her  in  the  most  outrageous  manner;  after 
you  had  ordered  her  to  the  house,  like  a  child.  Your 
conduct  was  that  of  a  common  bully." 

"Sir!" 

"I  wish  to  be  entirely  frank  with  you,  sir.  You 
have  made  her  life  miserably  unhappy  by  your  petty 
tyranny  and  contemptible  espionage.  You  have  not 
treated  her  with  any  of  the  consideration  due  to  a 
young  lady  who  has  entered  her  teens,"  continued 
Mr.  Pinkerton,  calmly. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         291 

"  Am  I  to  understand,  sir,  that  you  intend  to  remove 
me  from  my  office  of  guardian  on  these  grounds?" 

"No,  sir,  not  exactly  on  those  grounds.  The  law, 
in  most  if  not  all  the  states,  provides  that  when  a 
guardian  becomes  '  evidently  unsuitable '  for  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties,  he  shall  be  removed." 

"Do  you  think  I  am  an  unsuitable  person?"  de- 
manded Mr.  Overton,  who  was  very  nervous  and  much 
alarmed. 

"I  do  so  consider  you,  sir." 

"If  you  think  I  am  too  strict  with  her,  though  I 
have  only  acted  for  her  welfare,  I  will  be  less  so  in 
the  future,"  said  Mr.  Overton,  who  now  seemed  dis- 
posed to  compromise. 

"  Miss  Dornwood  says  she  will  never  live  with  you 
again  under  any  circumstances,  even  if  she  is  obliged 
to  earn  her  own  living." 

"Is  her  will  to  be  the  law?" 

"  She  is  entitled  to  be  consulted.  But  here  she 
comes,  and  on  this  subject  she  may  speak  for  herself. 
The  gentleman  with  her  is  Mr.  Bayard,  her  legal 
adviser  and  mine." 

Miss  Dornwood,  attended  by  Wacldie  and  the  law- 


292  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

yer,  entered  the  library.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Overton  bowed 
coldly  as  they  entered.  The  young  lady  was  very 
much  embarrassed,  and  seated  herself  as  far  from  her 
guardian  as  the  size  of  the  room  would  permit. 

Mr.  Pinkerton  informed  the  legal  gentleman  what 
had  thus  far  transpired.  Mr.  Bayard,  who  by  this 
time  fully  understood  the  subject,  explained  the  law, 
and  said  that  Miss  Dornwood  could  petition  the  Court 
of  Probate,  or  Surrogate,  to  remove  the  guardian,  and 
appoint  a  new  one. 

"Prepare  the  papers  as  soon  as  convenient,  Mr. 
Bayard,"  said  Mr.  Pinkerton. 

"  The  petition  must  be  presented  to  the  court  having 
jurisdiction  in  the  cause  when  the  will  of  Mr.  Dorn- 
wood was  admitted  to  probate.  Perhaps  Mr.  Overton 
would  prefer  to  resign  his  office  of  guardian,  which 
it  is  competent  for  him  to  do,"  added  the  lawyer. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  don't  intend  to  do  that,"  replied  Mr. 
Overton. 

"  Such  a  course  might  be  best  for  you." 

"  Gentlemen,  you  speak  to  me  as  though  I  were  a 
monster,  and  not  a  gentleman  ;  as  though  I  were  guilty 
of  some  base  crime,"  protested  Mr.  Overton. 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF    LAKE    TJCAYGA.         293 

"That  is  precisely  the  view  I  take  of  it,  after 
listening  to  Miss  Dornwood's  statement,  and  tliat  of 
Mr.  Wimpleton." 

"Sir,  do  you  mean  to  insult  me?  I  am  not  on 
trial." 

"  You  are  not,  but  you  ought  to  be,"  coolly  retorted 
the  legal  gentleman. 

"  If  there  is  any  law  in  the  land  — " 

"Plenty  of  it,"  interposed  the  cool  lawyer.  "As 
the  attorney  of  Miss  Dornwood,  I  only  hope  you 
will  commence  the  proceedings.  You  are  excited,  sir. 
Pray  keep  calm." 

"  Can  I  keep  calm  while  I  am  charged  with  a  base 
crime  ? "  fumed  Mr.  Overton,  rising  from  his  chair, 
and  pacing  the  room  in  his  wrath. 

"  I  see  that  you  do  not  understand  the  case.  Let 
me  refresh  your  memory,  and  point  out  to  you  the 
bearings  of  some  of  your  actions.  In  the  first  place, 
you  went  to  the  Cataract  House  with  a  couple  of 
bank  robbers." 

"  Only  one,  sir,"  I  suggested. 

"  With  one,  then ;  that  is  just  as  bad." 

"  But  he  was  an  impostor,  and  I  did  not  know  that 


294  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,    OR 

he  was  not  what  he  represented  himself  to  be,"  replied 
the  guardian. 

"  I  think  you  did.  You  must  have  known  that  he 
was  a  common  blackleg,  for  you  saw  him  plying  his 
trade  in  a  gambling  saloon  at  Cape  May.  You  had  an 
understanding  with  him,  after  you  had  seen  him 
at  the  gambling  table,  —  not  as  a  visitor,  but  as  one 
who  was  plundering  a  victim,  —  that  he  should  marry 
your  ward,  and  that  he  was  to  accept,  as  her  dowry  in 
full,  fifty  thousand  dollars,  though  the  young  lady's 
fortune  was  four  times  that  amount.  You  made  this 
bargain  with  the   blackleg  and  bank  robber." 

Mr.  Overton  was  very  red,  and  then  very  pale.  His 
limbs  were  shaky,  and  he  was  obliged  to  resume 
his  chair.  He  attempted  to  defend  himself,  and  de- 
clared that  the  testimony  of  a  bank  robber  against 
a  gentleman  in  his  position  would  prove  nothing." 

"  I  grant  that  it  is  a  very  poor  kind  of  testimony," 
replied  Mr.  Bayard.  "  But,  so  far  as  it  can  be  con- 
firmed by  other  witnesses,  it  will  be  useful.  Did  you 
not  tell  Miss  Dornwood  that  you  would  not  consent 
to  her  marriage  with  any  other  person  than  this  bank 
robber  and  blackleg?" 


THE    YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         295 

"  The  -  gentleman  came  to  me  as  an  English  lord, 
and  I  thought  it  was  a  good  match  for  her." 

"Lord  Palsgrave!"  laughed  the  lawyer.  "You 
knew  very  well  that  he  was  not  a  lord.  You  do  not 
answer  my  question,  Mr.  Overton." 

"I  am  not  on  trial." 

"Will  Miss  Dornwood  answer?" 

"  He  did  tell  me  that  I  could  marry  only  Lord  Pals- 
grave with  his  consent,"  replied  she,  with  a  blush ;  and 
it  was  plain  enough  that  she  had  never  thought  of 
marrying  anybody. 

"  Do  you  intend  to  drag  all  this  matter  into  the 
court?"  demanded  Mr.  Overton. 

"Undoubtedly;  and  we  intend  to  examine  Mr. 
Dornwood's  will  very  critically,  especially  that  part 
of  it  relating  to  the  consent  of  the  guardian  to  Miss 
Dornwood's  marriage.  We  believe  it  has  been  tam- 
pered with." 

Mr.  Overton  appeared  to  be  stunned  by  this  dec- 
laration. Doubtless,  like  all  other  evil-doers,  he  sup- 
posed that  his  deeds  were  entirely  cohered,  and  that 
no  one  suspected  him  of  anything  wrong.  He  was 
unable   again   to  regain   his   self-possession,   and  Mr. 


296  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

Bayard  restated  the  grounds  on  which  he  proposed 
to  proceed. 

"I  will  resign,"  gasped  he,  at  last,  after  his  wife 
had  whispered  in  his  ear. 

"That  is  the  most  prudent  step  you  can  take," 
added  the  lawyer. 

"I  wish  you  to  understand  that  I  do  not  resign 
because  I  have  done  anything  wrong,  but  because  I 
do  not .  wish  to  have  my  name  publicly  connected 
with  a  bank  robber.  I  did  not  know  what  he  was," 
protested  Mr.  Overton. 

"You  can  put  any  construction  you  please  upon 
your  own  conduct,"  said  Mr.  Bayard.  "  It  will  be 
necessary  for  you  to  render  an  account  of  all  your 
expenditures  as  the  guardian  of  Miss  Dornwood,  and 
deliver  her  property  into  the  hands  of  your  successor." 

"That's  a  gratuitous  insult,"  replied  the  crestfallen 
guardian. 

But  a  time  was  fixed  for  the  transaction  of 
this  important  business,  and  Mr.  Overton  agreed  to 
be  present  with  his  resignation.  He  and  his  wife 
departed  sadder  and  wiser  than  they  came.  As  there 
was  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  any  of  us  that  he  had 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.         297 

intended  to  rob  his  ward  of  the  greater  portion  of 
her  fortune,  we  did  not   pity  him. 

Waddie  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  Miss  Dorn- 
wood  during  the  rest  of  our  stay  at  Mr.  Pinkerton's, 
and  it  was  quite  late  in  the  evening  when  we  re- 
turned to  Middleport.  The  next  day  we  went  up 
the  lake  again,  and  Waddie  sailed  the  Raven  down 
to  Centreport.  After  this  he  went  down  the  lake 
as  far  as  Ruoara  about  every  day.  At  the  end  of 
a  fortnight,  however,  when  Mr.  Pinkerton  and  Miss 
Dornwood  went  to  her  residence  to  attend  the  pro- 
ceedings at  the  Surrogate  Court,  Waddie  consented 
to  finish  the  vacation  with  me  in  the  upper  waters 
of  the  lake.  Tommy  Toppleton  went  with  us  this 
time;  Tom  Walton  was  again  able  to  take  his  place 
at  the  helm,  and  we  had  a  splendid  time. 

We  were  obliged  to  attend  court  at  the  exami- 
nation of  the  bank  robbers,  who  were  fully  com- 
mitted for  trial.  Subsequently  they  were  convicted, 
and  sentenced  to  twenty  years  in  the  penitentiary. 

Mr.  Pinkerton  was  appointed  the  guardian  of  Miss 
Dornwood,  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Overton ;  and 
the  Raven  plied  very  regularly  between  Ruoara  and 
Centreport. 


298  BEAR   AND   FORBEAR,   OR 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF    THE    BANSHEE. 

""^"YTHAT  boat's  that?"  said  Tom  Walton  to 
T  T  me,  as  we  walked  down  to  the  shore  where 
the  Belle  was   moored. 

"That's  the  Banshee,"  I  replied,  quietly. 

"Never  heard  of  her." 

"She  is  new — just   finished." 

"She's  a  first-rate  boat,  and  has  a  bully  name," 
added  Tom,  as  he  critically  surveyed  the  new  craft. 

The  Banshee  was  larger  than  the  Grace,  and  was 
really  a  magnificent  boat.  Tom  was  delighted  with 
her,  and  expressed  his  admiration  in  the  warmest  terms. 
I  am  willing  to  acknowledge  that  there  was  a  con- 
spiracy  against  Tom;  but  the  time  for  springing  the 
trap  upon  him  had  not  quite  arrived.  I  had  engaged 
him  to  take  out  a  party  to  sail  that  day.  We 
went  on  board  the  Belle ;  but  Tom  kept  one  eye  on 
the  Banshee  all  the  time. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    UCAYGA.  299 

"Can't   we  go  aboard  of  her,  Wolf?"  asked  Tom. 

"We  haven't  time  now.  There  comes  Major  T.op- 
pleton,  with  his  family;  and  we  have  to  go  over 
to  Centreport  for  the  rest  of  the  party." 

"I  should  like  to  ask  how  large  a  party  you  in- 
tend to  take  out  in  the  Belle.  There  are  five  of 
the  Toppletons,  and  you  and  I  make  seven." 

"  We  will  go  over  and  see  how  many  there  are 
on  the  other  side,"  I  answered  quietly. 

We  crossed  the  lake,  and  found  five  Wimpletons, 
Miss  Dornwood,  and  Miss  Pinkerton. 

"  Good  gracious,  Wolf! "  exclaimed  the  skipper,  in 
a  low  tone,  and  with  a  look  of  infinite  embarrass- 
ment. "The  standing-room  of  the  Belle  won't  hold 
but  ten,  and  they  are  crowded  at  that.  We  can't 
carry  them  all,  Wolf." 

"We  will  try,  at  any  rate." 

"Try!  You  might  as  well  try  to  put  a  ton  of 
hay  into  an  egg-shell.  You  can't  do  it.  You  must 
sail  the  Raven,  and  carry  part  of  them." 

"We  will  take  them  over  to  the  other  shore,  and 
then  decide  what  shall  be  done,"  I  added,  as  Tom 
ran  the  Belle  up  to  the  landing-steps. 


300  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR,   OR 

The  party  entered  the  boat,  and  when  they  were 
seated,  the  standing-room  was  quite  full,  for  the  ladies 
were  considerably  expanded. 

"Where  do  you  intend  to  put  the  other  five, 
Wolf?"  whispered  Tom,  when  we  were   under  way. 

"I  don't  think  we  can  put  them  into  the  Belle," 
I  replied. 

Tom  was  very  much  troubled,  and  worried  sorely. 
Why  had  I  not  told  him  that  our  party  was  to  con- 
sist of  all  Middleport  and  all  Centreport?  He  would 
have  engaged  another  boat.  He  did  not  believe  he 
had  "feed"  enough  on  board  for  such  a  crowd. 
He  continued  to  fret,  in  his  good-natured  way,  until 
we  were  within  hailing  distance  of  the  Banshee. 

"The  Toj)pletons  have  all  gone  on  board  of  that 
new  boat,"  said  Tom. 

"They  probably  want  to  see  her.  Suppose  we 
run  alongside,  and  take  a  look  at  her,"  I  suggested. 

"I  should  like  to  see  her,  first  rate,"  answered  the 
skipper.  "You  didn't  tell  me  whose  boat  she  was, 
Wolf." 

"She  was  built  for  Captain  Portman." 

"She's  a  regular  out-and-outer;   and  she   will  sail 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER    OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.         301 

like  sixty.  Look  at  that  bow !  She  is  sharp  enough 
to  cut  cheese  with ;  but  she  has  plenty  of  beam,  and 
won't  be  crank." 

Tom  ran  the  Belle  under  the  stern  of  the  Ban- 
shee, and  came  up  at  the  accommodation  steps  on 
the  port  side.  Like  a  gallant  skipper  as  he  was, 
Tom  assisted  the  ladies  on  board  of  the  new  boat, 
and  then  stepped  on  deck  himself.  We  walked  about 
the  beautiful  craft,  and  the  skipper  examined  every- 
thing with  a  critical  eye.  Passing  down  the  fore- 
hatch,  we  entered  the  cook-room,  which  was  fitted 
up  with  every  convenience. 

"I  should  like  to  be  the  cook  on  board  the  Ban- 
shee," said  Tom,  as  he  examined  the  appointments 
of  the  kitchen. 

"Wouldn't  you  rather  be  the  skipper?"  I  asked. 

"Perhaps  I  would,  but  I  never  expect  to  go  skip- 
per of  such  a  nobby  yacht  as  this." 

"Possibly  you  may,"  I  added,  as  we  passed  into 
one  of  the  two  state-rooms  which  occupied  the  mid- 
dle of  the  vessel. 

"What's  this  for?" 

"This  is  the  captain's  room." 


302  BEAR   AND    FOEBEAE,    OB 

"First  rate,"  said  Tom,  with  enthusiasm. 

We  went  into  the  other  state-room,  and  then 
passed  into  the  main  cabin,  which  was  large  enough 
to  contain  four  berths.  The  floor  was  richly  car- 
peted, and  the  table  was  provided  with  racks  and 
water  pitcher.  There  was  an  abundance  of  lockers 
and  closets,  which  were  stocked  with  dishes  and 
stores.  Rich  hangings  partially  concealed  the  berths, 
and  everything  was  as  luxurious  as  the  parlor  of  a 
gentleman's  house.  Tom  gazed  with  admiration  and 
delight  at  the  elegant  appointments  of  the  cabin. 
By  this  time  the  entire  company  had  assembled  in 
this  stately  apartment,  and  all  of  them  were  watch- 
ing Tom.     No  one  noticed  any  of  the  rest  of  us. 

"  Why,  they  are  getting  her  under  way,"  said  Tom. 
"Hadn't  we  better  be  off?" 

"Not  just  yet,"  I  replied. 

"But  I'm  afraid  the  Belle  will  be  in  her  way." 

"  It's  all  right ; "  and  I  proceeded  to  point  out  the 
conveniences  on  board  of  the  yacht. 

In  a  few  moments  we  heard  the  rattle  of  the  jib, 
and   the  Banshee  was  off. 

"I  think  we  will  go  on   deck   now,"  I  continued. 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OF   LAKE    TJCAYGA.         303 

"  Why,  she's  off  now ! "  exclaimed  Tom,  springing 
to  the  steps.     "Where's  the  Belle?" 

"  She  is  moored  all  right,  Tom,"  I  interposed. 
"The  ladies  have  concluded  to  go  in  the  Banshee 
if  you  will  take  the   helm." 

"O,  this  was  the  game  —  was  it?"  laughed  Tom. 
"I  didn't  see  how  you  expected  to  carry  fourteen 
in  the  Belle.  I'll  take  the  helm,  and  glad  of  the 
job." 

All  the  party  followed  him  to  the  standing-room. 
Joe  Poole,  who  had  formerly  sailed  with  Tom  and 
me  in  the  Grace,  had  the  helm.  There  were  also 
two  men  on  the  forecastle,  coiling  up  the  jib-hal- 
yards. 

"Here,  Tom,"  I  interposed,  as  he  was  about  to 
take  the  helm  from  Joe  Poole.  "You  didn't  look 
at  this  arrangement  for  the  spy-glass." 

I  pointed  to  the  glass,  which  was  secured  on  a 
couple  of  spring  brackets,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
moved  from  its  place  by  the  pitching  of  the  ves- 
sel. Under  it  was  a  large  silver  plate,  upon  which 
an  inscription  was  engraved.  It  was  placed  directly 
over  the  entrance  to  the  cabin,  and  in  calling  Tom's 


304  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

attention  to  the  spy-glass,  I  intended  he  should  see 
this  plate.  All  the  party  in  the  standing-room  were 
watching  him  with  the  most  intense  interest  and 
delight. 

"Good  gracious,  Wolf!"  shouted  the  skipper,  his 
eyes  opening  till  they  were  as  large  as  the  hawse- 
holes  of  the  yacht. 

I  thought  he  would  be  crazy,  he  was  so  astonished 
and  delighted.  The  inscription  on  the  plate  was  as 
follows :  — 

"Presented  to  Captain  TJiomas  Walton  by  the 
Directors  of  the  Centreport  JSank,  in  testimony  of 
their  high  appreciation  of  his  gallant  conduct  and 
skilful  management  in  the  capture  of  the  robbers  of 
their  JBanhP 

"I  say,  Wolf,  won't  you  make  a  little  speech  for 
me?"  said  Tom. 

"  Make  it  yourself,  Tom.  There  is  the  president  of 
the  bank,"  I  replied,  pointing  to  Colonel  Wimpleton. 

"  Colonel  Wimpleton,  this  is  handsome  of  you,  and 
I  thank  you  ten  thousand  times  —  call  it  ten  million 
times.  If  my  heart  were  as  big  as  the  moon,  it 
would   shake   all   over   with   gratitude.     I   don't   de- 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OP   LAKE    UCAYGA.         305 

serve  this,  but  I  am  the  happiest  skipper  that  ever 
trod  a  plank." 

The  entire  party  clapped  their  hands,  and  seemed  to 
be  almost  as  happy  as  Tom  was. 

"The  money  which  that  robber  had  in  his  bag 
would  pay  for  a  dozen  such  yachts  as  this;  and  it 
would  have  been  lost  without  you,"  said  Colonel 
Wimpleton.  "It's  only  a  salve  for  your  wounded 
arm." 

It  was  some  time  before  Captain  Walton  was  in 
condition  to  take  the  helm,  he  was  so  excited.  He 
went  all  over  the  Banshee  again,  and  I  attended 
him. 

"So  you  were  fooling  me  all  the  time,  Wolf," 
said  he.  "But  you  said  she  was  built  for  Captain 
Portman." 

"So  she  was;  but  as  it  was  rather  late  in  the 
season  for  him,  he  was  kind  enough  to  let  the  colo- 
nel have  her,  and  another  will  be  built  for  him 
before  spring." 

"She's  a  bully  boat." 

"  She  will  make  your  fortune,  Tom,  for  people 
will  like  her." 

20 


306  BEAR   AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

"That's  so.  I  can  let  the  Belle,  and  run  the 
Banshee  myself." 

Tom  finally  cooled  off  enough  to  take  the  helm. 
He  was  the  lion  of  the  day,  and  he  handled  the 
yacht  so  as  to  call  forth  the  admiration  of  the  party. 
Colonel  Wimpleton  had  consulted  me  in  regard  to  the 
reward  for  Tom,  and  I  had  suggested  the  yacht,  be- 
cause I  knew  she  would  enable  him  to  make  a  great 
deal  of  money.  The  magnate  could  not  wait  for  a 
boat  to  be  built,  and  Captain  Portman,  to  whom  I 
applied  for  information  in  regard  to  the  cost  of  the 
Banshee,  enabled  him  to  obviate  this  delay.  Cer- 
tainly Tom  could  not  have  been  better  suited  if 
he  had  been  consulted.  He  was  very  grateful,  and 
very  modest,  winning  the  regard  of  all  on  board. 

"We  sailed  up  to  the  Cataract  House,  where  the 
company  dined;  after  which  the  excursion  was  con- 
tinued to  the  head  of  the  lake.  All  had  a  splendid 
time;  and,  as  Grace  Toppleton  was  present,  it  was 
one  of  the  happy  days  of  a  lifetime  to  me.  "We 
landed  Miss  Dornwood  and  her  friend  at  Kuoara, 
and  came  to  anchor  off  Middleport  before  dark. 

The   Banshee  was  immediately   in  great   demand. 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER  OP   LAKE   UCAYGA.         307 

Applications  for  her  came  from  every  town  on  the 
lake;  and  when  the  season  closed,  Tom  had  money 
enough  to  pay  a  quarter  down  on  a  house  he  bought 
for  his  mother.  Joe  Poole  ran  the  Belle  when  a 
skipper  was  needed  by  her  party,  and  half  a  dozen 
row-boats  added  to  Tom's  income.  One  of  his  brothers 
attended  to  the  letting  of  the  boats,  and  the  next 
season  Tom  did  a  large  business.  The  family,  by  the 
exertions  of  Tom,  was  now  on  the  high  road  to 
prosperity. 


A  lapse  of  five  years  has  produced  no  change  in 
the  pleasant  relations  between  the  two  sides  of  the 
lake,  though  it  has  witnessed  many  changes  in 
the  circumstances  of  those  who  have  figured  in  my 
story.  The  Union  Line  is  still  a  unit.  The  Lake 
Shore  Railroad  does  a  large  business.  Captain  Van 
Wolter  still  commands  the  Ucayga,  and  the  only 
sorrow  of  his  life  is  the  fact  that  his  son  has  fif- 
teen long  years  of  imprisonment  before  him.  All  the 
old  students  have  left  the  Institutes,  and  new  ones 
have  taken  their  places. 


308  BEAR    AND    FORBEAR,    OR 

Tom  Walton,  with  a  great  pair  of  bushy  whiskers, 
still  runs  the  Banshee,  and  makes  money  in  the  boat 
business.  He  has  built  a  very  comfortable  double  house 
near  his  boat  pier,  and  lives  in  one  side  himself,  while 
his  mother  occupies  the  other.  He  is  married,  and  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  solid  men  of  Middleport;  he  can 
no  longer  be  called  "The  Young  Skipper  of  Lake 
Ucayga,"  though  his  heart  is  as  young  and  fresh  as 
ever. 

There  have  been  quite  a  number  of  new  houses 
erected  in  Middleport  and  Centreport.  Near  the 
mansion  of  Colonel  Wimpleton  is  the  elegant  house 
of  Mr.  Waddie  Wimpleton.  Miss  Dornwood  that 
was,  Mrs.  Wimpleton  that  is,  lives  there,  of  course, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  by  everybody  in  town,  not 
only  as  an  elegant  lady,  but  as  a  useful  and  benevo- 
lent woman.  By  the  side  of  this  house  is  another, 
occupied  by  Mr.  Thomas  Toppleton,  for  his  lady  de- 
sired to  live  near  her  mother  and  brother;  and  it 
was  whispered  that  her  husband  thought  his  chances 
of  being  sent  to  Congress  from  the  district  in  which 
Centreport  was  situated  were  better  than  in  the  one 
to  which  Middleport  belonged.     At   any  rate,  Tom- 


THE   YOUNG    SKIPPER   OP   LAKE   IJCAYGA.         309 

my  has  political  aspirations,  and  is  a  rising  man; 
and  I  am  only  sorry  that  I  shall  not  have  the  oppor- 
tunity to  vote  for  him  when  he  is  nominated. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  between  the  man- 
sion of  Major  Toppleton  and  the  shore,  stands  what 
I  regard  as  a  very  pretty  house.  It  was  erected  by 
the  major  for  the  use  of  his  oldest  daughter,  and 
we  live  there.  I  shall  be  happy  to  introduce  Mrs. 
Penniman  to  any  of  my  friends  who  call.  I  wish 
to  say,  aside,  so  that  she  will  not  hear  me,  that  I 
think  she  is  even  prettier  now  than  she  was  on  the 
day  when  I  first  saw  her,  and  helped  her  into  the 
engine-room  of  the  dummy.  She  is  very  happy,  and 
I  am  sure  I  am.  Her  father  bestowed  a  very  lib- 
eral dowry  upon  her  when  we  were  married,  and  I 
have  doubled  my  little  fortune  in  five  years,  so 
that  we  are  abundantly  provided  with  this  world's 
goods. 

I  am  still  the  general  agent  of  the  Union  Line, 
but  I  am  not  obliged  to  work  very  hard.  I  am  in- 
terested in  several  railroads,  including  the  Great 
Lake  Shore  in  Ohio,  which  had  the  audacity  to  steal 
our  name.    My  father  still  runs  the  engine  of  the 


310  BEAR   AND    FOEBEAE,    OR 

Ucayga,  in  connection  with  Christy  Holgate,  who 
has  been  true  to  his  high  Christian  aspirations.  Lewis 
Holgate  did  not  turn  out  very  well.  He  was  dis* 
charged  from  his  place  on  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad, 
and  the  last  I  knew  of  him,  he  was  "  firing "  on  one 
of  the  main  lines. 

My  mother  comes  over  to  our  house  almost  every 
afternoon,  where  she  is  always  warmly  welcomed  by 
Grace,  who  loves  her  almost  as  mnch  as  I  do.  I 
often  think,  when  I  see  her,  that  the  Bible  lessons 
she  taught  me  have  been  the  foundation  of  all  that 
I  am  or  ever  shall  be.  I  shudder  when  I  think  where 
I  might  have  been  without  her;  and- 1  do  not  think 
it  is  egotism  for  me  to  say,  in  view  of  the  facts, 
that  the  principle  of  "Love  your  enemies,"  which 
she  imparted  to  me,  was  the  basis  upon  which  the 
present  happy  peace  between  the  two  sides  of  the 
lake  rested;  for  Waddie  and  Tommy  confessed  that 
they  had  learned  the  lesson  from  me.  She  is  a  good 
mother,  and  I  shall  love,  and  cherish,  and  pray  for 
her  as  long  as  I  live. 

The  two  bears  are   still  alive,  though   the  fun  is 


THE   YOUNG   SKIPPER   OF   LAKE   UCAYGA.  311 

all  gone  out  of  them.  They  are  now  grave,  se- 
date, and  dignified  bears,  and,  as  such,  are  fit  sym- 
bols of  the  Christian  sentiment  they  represent.  I 
am  grateful  to  them  for  the  good  they  have  un- 
consciously done,  and  I  never  call  them  by  any  other 
names  than  Bear  and  Forbear. 


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The  author  has  used,  to  the  best  advantage,  the  many  exciting  incidents 
that  naturally  attend  the  career  of  a  fugitive  slave,  and  the  seeds  that  he  may 
sow  in  youthful  hearts  will  perhaps  bear  a  hundred-fold. 

WORK  AND   WIN  ;  or,  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

$1.25. 
"A  nautical  story  of  adventure  and  endurance,  written  to  delineate  the 
upward  progress  of  a  boy  whose  moral  attributes  were  of  the  lowest  order, 
in  consequence  of  neglected  education,  but  in  whom  high  religious  princi- 
ples were  afterwards  developed." — Notices  of  the  Press. 

HOPE    AND    HAVE  ;    or,  Fanny  Grant  among  the 

Indians.  $1.25. 
"This  is  a  story  of  Western  adventure  and  of  peril  among  the  Indians, 
and  contains  the  experience  of  Fanny  Grant,  who,  from  a  very  naughty  girl, 
became  a  very  good  one,  by  the  influence  of  a  pure  and  beautiful  example 
exhibited  by  an  erring  child,  in  the  hour  of  her  greatest  wandering  from  the 
path  of  virtue."  —  Philadelphia  Age. 

HASTE    AND    WASTE  ;    or,   The    Young   Pilot  of 

Lake  Champlain.     $1.25. 
"  This  is  a  story  of  boyish  daring  and  integrity  upon  Lake  Champlain, 
and  older  heads  than  those  of  sixteen  may  read  and  profit  by  it." 

The  stories  in  the  "  "Woodville  "  series  are  hinged  together  only  so  far  as 
the  same  characters  have  been  retained  in  each. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD'S  JUVENILE  PUBLICATIONS. 

SOPHIE    MAY'S    BOOKS; 


LITTLE  PRUDY  STORIES. 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  Sets  or  separate.    Per 
volume,  75  cents. 
LITTLE    PRUDY. 

LITTLE    PRUDY' S     Sister    Susy. 

LITTLE    PRUDY' S     Captain    Horace. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S    Cousin    Grace. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S    Story    Book. 

LITTLE    PRUDY'S     Dotty    Dimple. 


DOTTY  DIMPLE  STORIES. 

By  the  author  of  "  Little  Prudy  Stories." 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  Sets  or  separate.    Per 
volxime,  75  cents. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    at    her    Grandmother's. 
DOTTY     DIMPLE    at    Home. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    out    West. 

DOTTY     DIMPLE    at    Play. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE    at    School. 

DOTTY    DIMPLE'S     Flyaway. 
Read  the  high  commendation  of  the  North  American  Bevieio,  which 
places  Sophie  May's  Books  at  the 

Head    of  Juvenile    Literature. 

"  Genius  comes  in  with  '  Little  Prudy.'  Compared  with  her,  all  other 
took-children  are  cold  creations  of  Literature  only;  she  alone  is  the  real 
thing.  All  the  quaintness  of  childhood,  its  originality,  its  tenderness  and  its 
teasing,  —  its  infinite,  unconscious  droller y,  the  serious  earnestness  of  its 
fun,  the  fun  of  its  seriousness,  the  natural  religion  of  its  plays,  and  the  delic- 
ious oddity  of  its  prayers,  —  all  these  waited  for  dear  Little  Prudy  to  embody 
them.  Sam  Weller  is  not  more  piquant;  Hans  Anderson's  nutcrackers  and 
knitting-needles  are  not  more  thoroughly  charged  with  life.  There  are  six 
little  green  volumes  in  the  series,  and  of  course  other  dramatis  personce 
must  figure;  but  one  eagerly  watches  for  every  reappearance  of  Prudy,  as 
one  watches  at  the  play  for  Owens  or  Warren  to  re-enter  upon  the  stage. 
Who  is  our  benetactress  in  the  authorship  of  these  books,  the  world  knows 
not.  Sophie  May  must  doubtless  be  a  fancy  name,  by  reason  of  the  spelling, 
and  we  have  only  to  be  greatful  that  the  author  did  not  inflict  on  us  the 
customary  alliteration  in  her  pseudonyme.  The  rare  gift  of  delineating 
childhood  is  hers,  and  may  the  line  of  '  Little  Prudy '  go  out  to  the  end  of  the 
earth To  those  oversaturated  with  transatlantic  traditions  we  recom- 
mend a  course  of '  Little  Prudy," 

Sold  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on 
receipt  of  price.  

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD'S  JUVENILE  PUBLICATIONS, 

OLIVER    OPTIC'S    BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD. 

A  Library  of  Travel  and  Adventure  in  Foreign  Lands.    16mo. 
Illustrated  by  Nast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 


OUTWARD     BOUND;    or,    Young  America    Afloat. 
$1.50. 

"  In  Outward  Bound,"  "  the  Ship  Young  America,  sails  for  Europe,  -with 
a  school  of  eighty-seven  hoys  aboard  her,  who  pursue  the  studies  of  a  school, 
and  at  the  same  time  work  the  ship  across  the  Atlantic,  being  amenable  to 
regular  naval  discipline." 

SHAMROCK    AND    THISTLE;    or,  Young  Amer- 
ica in  Ireland  and  Scotland.     $1.50. 

"This  volume  continues  the  history  of  the  academy  ship  and  her  crew  of 
boys,  with  their  trips  into  the  interior  as  well  as  voyages  along  the  coast  of 
Ireland  and  Scotland.  The  young  scholar  will  get  a  truer  and  fuller  concep- 
tion of  these  countries  by  reading  this  unpretentious  journal  of  travel,  than 
by  weeks  of  hard  study  upon  the  geographies  and  histories." 

RED    CROSS ;    or,   Young    America    in    England   and 
Wales.     $1.50. 

"  The  third  volume  of  Oliver  Optic's  Library  of  travel  and  adventure 
chronicles  the  doings  of  the  Young  America  and  her  crew  in  British  ports 
and  waters,  and  is  replete  with  thrilling  adventures  and  descriptions  of  noted 
places." 

DIKES    AND     DITCHES;    or,    Young    America   in 
Holland  and  Belgium.    $1.50 

"  The  author  takes  his  readers  on  voyages  up  the  rivers  and  canals  of  Hol- 
land and  Belgium,  on  tramps  through  the  cities,  their  schools,  their  art  gal- 
leries, and  their  wonderful  buildings,  giving  at  every  turn  vivid  impressions 
of  what  is  seen  and  heard  therein  and  thereabouts." 

PALACE   AND    COTTAGE  ;  or,  Young  America  in 
Prance  and  Switzerland.     $1.50 

"  This  volume  relates  the  history  of  the  American  Squadron  (Young 
America  and  Josephine)  in  the  Avaters  of  France,  with  the  journey  of  the 
students  to  Paris  and  through  a  portion  of  Switzerland.  As  an  episode, 
the  story  of  the  runaway  cruise  of  the  Josephine  is  introduced,  inculcating 
the  moral  that  '  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard.'  " 

DOWN  THE  RHINE;  or,  Young  America  in  Ger- 
many. $1.50. 
This  volume  concludes  the  first  series  of  Young  America,  and  is  as  inter- 
esting and  instrnctive  as  the  preceding  volumes.  So  great  has  been  the  suc- 
cess of  this  series,  that  Oliver  Optic  is  now  preparing  a  second.  "Up  the 
Baltic"  will  be  the  first  volume,  to  be  followed  by  "  Northern  Lands,"  "Vine 
and  Olive,"  "  Sunny  Shores,"  "  Cross  and  Crescent"  and  "  Isles  of  the  Sea.' 

Sold  by  all  book-sellers  and  news-dealers,  and  sent  by  mail  on  receipt  of 
price.     '  

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


LEE  &  SHEPARO'S  JUVENILE  PUBLICATIONS. 


TALES    OF    ADVENTURE. 


THE  FRONTIER  SERIES, 

Four  volumes.    16vno.    III.    Price,  per  set,  $5,00. 

THE  CABIN  ON  THE  PRAIRIE.     By  Rev.  Charles  H, 
Pearson.     16mo.     llustrated.     $1.25. 

"  Ihe  Cabin  on  tlie  Prairie  is  an  earnest,  healthy  book,  full  of  thf 
hardships,  trials,  and  triumphs  of  life  in  our  new  settlements." 

PLANTING    THE,  WILDERNESS;  or,  The  Pioneer  Boys. 
By  James  D.  McCabe,  Jr.     16mo.     Illustrated.     $1.25. 
"  Planting  the  Wilderness  tells  of  the  strange  adventures  of  real  life, 
which,  more  than  the  fancies  of  the  novel  writer,  are  of  absorbing  in- 
terest." 

TWELVE    NIGHTS    IN    THE    HUNTERS'   CAMP.      By 
Rev.  W.  Barrows.     16mo.     Illustrated.     $1.25. 
"  Twelve  Nights  in  the  Hunters'*  Camp  is  a  pleasant,  stirring,  sensible 
book,  full  of  life  and  incident,  and  all  aglow  with  the  breezy  freshness 
or  woods  and  prairies,  lakes  and  rivers." 

A    THOUSAND    MILES'    WALK   across   the    Pampas    and 

Andes  of   South   America.      By   Nathaniel    II.    Bishop. 

16mo.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 

"A   Thousand  Miles'  Walh  across  South  America  is  a  record   of  the 

experiences  of  a  Yankee  boy,  full  of  enthusiasm  to  see  and  learn  by  actual 

experience  the  wonders  of  that  almost  terra  incognita.** 

This  series  of  books  are  of  sterling  merit,  snd  while  they 
closely  follow  real  experiences,  are  full  of  those  thrilling  inci- 
dents which  charm  both  youth  and  age. 


Sold  by  all  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid, 
on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  &.  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD'S  JUVENILE  PUBLICATIONS. 


By  the  Author  of  "  Spartacus  to  the  Gladiators." 

ELM  ISLAND  STORIES. 

To  be  completed  in  six  vols.    III.    Per  vol.,  $1.25. 


LION  BEN  OF  ELM  ISLAND.     16rao.     Illustrated.  $1.25. 

"  Elm  Island  lays  off  the  coast  of  Eastern  Maine,  a  wild  and  romantio 
region,  and  the  incidents  of  the  story  are  recorded  as  happening  when  this 
country  was  just  emerging  from  its  struggle  for  independence.  It  is  a 
capital  story  of  the  rough-and-tumble  life  of  the  early  settlers."—  Chicago 
Journal  of  Commerce. 

CHARLIE  BELL,  THE  WAIF  OF  ELM  ISLAND.    16mo. 

Illustrated.     $1.25. 

"  This  volume  tells  the  story  of  Charlie  Bell,  who  was  thrown  upon  Elm 
Island  like  a  Avaif  from  the  ocean,  and  adopted  by  Lion  Ben.  With  Yankee 
boys  he  shares  the  exciting  adventures  of  a  new  country  and  a  rude  state 
of  society." 

TEE  ARK  OF  ELM  ISLAND.    16mo.    Illustrated.   $1.25. 

This  volume  of  the  series  is  by  no  means  inferior  in  interest  to  its  prede- 
cessors, dealing  principally  with  adventures  at  sea,  which  are  always 
delightful  to  boys. 

THE  BOY  FARMERS  OF  ELM  ISLAND.     16mo.     Illus- 
trated.    $1.25. 

The  fourth  volume  of  the  series  gives,  in  graphic  and  earnest  style,  the 
efforts  of  three  lads  to  transform  Elm  Island  from  a  wilderness  to  a  fruit- 
ful and  productive  land.    It  is  full  of  life,  adventure,  and  fun. 

THE     YOUNG     SHIPBUILDERS     OF    ELM    ISLAND. 
16mo.     Illustrated.     $1.25. 

"  Mr.  Kellogg  is  winning  laurels  as  a  writer  for  and  educator  of  youth. 
Health  and  vigor  are  in  his  writings,  and  the  lad  has  more  of  the  first-clasa 
man  in  him  after  the  perusal."  —  Providence  Press. 


Sold  by  all  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid, 
on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


REV.   ELIJAH   KELLOGG'S 

ELM  ISLAND  STORIES. 

Six  vola.    16mo.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.25. 

1.  Lion  Ben  of  Elm  Island. 

2.  Charlie  Bell. 

3.  The  Ark  of  Elm  Island. 

4.  The  Boy  Farmers  of  Elm 

Island. 

5.  The  Young  Shipbuilders  of 

Elm  Island. 

6.  The  Hardscrabble  of  Elm 

Island. 

"There  is  no  sentimentalism  in  this  series. 
It  is  all  downright  matter-of-fact  boy  life,  and 
of  course  they  are  deeply  interested  in  read- 
ing it.  The  history  of  pioneer  life  is  so 
attractive  that  one  involuntarily  wishes  to 
renew  those  early  struggles  with  adverse 
circumstances,  and  join  the  busy  actors  in 
their  successful  efforts  to  build  up  pleasant 
homes  on  our  sea-girt  islands." — Zion's 
Herald. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Illustrated  Natural  History 

YOUNG  HUNTER'S  LIBRARY. 


By  Mbs.  R.  Lee.     Four  volumes. 
Per  vol.,  $1.50. 


Illustrated. 


The  Australian  "Wanderers. 

The  Adventures  of  Captain  Spencer  and 
his  Horse  and  Dog  in  the  Wilds  of  Aus- 
tralia. 

The  African  Crusoes. 

The  Adventures  of  Carlos  and  Antonio 
in  the  Wilds  of  Africa. 

Anecdotes  of  Animals, 

With  their  Habits,  Instincts,  &c,  &c. 

Anecdotes  of  Birds,  Fishes,  Rep- 
tiles, &c,  their  Habits  and  Instincts. 

This  is  a  very  popular  series,  prepared  for 
the  purpose  of  interesting  the  young  in  the 
study  of  natural  history.  The  exciting  ad- 
ventures^  of  celebrated  travellers,  anecdotes 
of  sagacity  in  birds,  beasts,  &c. ,  have  been 
interwoven  in  a  pleasant  manner.  This  se- 
ries is  not  only  very  interesting  but  is  deci- 
dedly profitable  reading. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Wonderful  Stories. 

JUTLAND  SERIES. 

Four  vols.   Illustrated.    Set  in  a  neat  box,  or  sold 
separate.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 

The  Sand  Hills  of  Jutland. 

By  Hans  Christian  Andersen.      i6mo. 
Illustrated. 

Yarns  of  an  Old  Mariner. 

By  Mrs.   Mary  Cowden  Clarke.     Illus- 
trated by  Cruikshank.   i6mo. 


Schoolboy  Days. 

By  W.  H.  G.   Kingston, 
teen  illustrations. 


i6mo.     Six- 


Great  Men  and  Gallant  Deeds. 

By  J.  G.  Edgar.     i6mo.     Illustrated. 

Four  books  by  four  noted  authors  comprise 
this  series,  which  contains  Adventures  by  Sea 
and  Land,  Manly  Sports  of  England,  Boy 
Life  in  English  Schools,  Fairy  Tales  and 
Legends,  —  all  handsomely  illustrated. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


The   Great   West. 

THE  FRONTIER  SERIES 

Five  vols.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.25. 

Twelve   Nights   in   the   Hunters' 

Camp. 
A  Thousand  Miles'  Walk  Across 

South  America. 

The  Cabin  on  the  Prairie. 

Planting  the  "Wilderness. 

The  Young  Pioneers. 

The  romance  surrounding  the  adventurous 
lives  of  Western  pioneers  and  immigrants 
has  suggested  nearly  as  many  stories  as  the 
chivalric  deeds  of  knight-errantry.  These 
tales  of  frontier  life  are,  however,  as  a  rule, 
characterized  by  such  wildness  of  fancy  and 
such  extravagancy  of  language  that  we  have 
often  wondered  why  another  Cervantes  did 
not  ridicule  our  border  romances  by  describ- 
ing a  second  Don  Quixote's  adventures  on 
the  prairies.  We  are  pleased  to  notice,  that 
in  the  new  series  of  Frontier  Tales,  by  Lee 
&  Shepard,  there  is  an  agreeable  absence  of 
sensational  writing,  of  that  maudlin  senti- 
mentality which  make  the  generality  of  such 
tales  nauseous."  —  Standard. 


LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


MISS    LOUISE    M.    THURSTON  S 


CHARLEY  ROBERTS  SERIES. 


To  be  completed  in  six  vols.     Illustrated. 
Per  volume,  $i. 

How  Charley  Roberts  Be- 
came  a  Man. 

How  Eva  Roberts  Grained 

Her  Education. 

Charley    and    Eva's    Home 
in  the   West. 

(Others  in  Preparation.) 

In  presenting  the  above  new  series  the  publish- 
ers believe  that  they  are  adding  to  that  class  of 
juvenile  literature  whose  intrinsic  worth  is  recog- 
nized by  those  who  have  at  heart  the  good  of  the 
young. 

"  They  are  pleasantly  written  books,  descriptive 
of  the  struggles  and  difficulties  of  Charley  and 
Eva  in  attaining  to  manhood  and  womanhood, 
and  they  are  well  adapted  to  stimulate  a  noble 
ambition  in  the  hearts  of  young  persons." 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


MAY    MANNERING'S 

HELPING  HAND  SERIES. 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.     Per  volume,  $i. 
Climbing  the   Hope. 
Billy   Grimes's   Favorite. 

The  Cruise  of  the  Dasha- 

way. 

The    Little    Spaniard. 
Salt  Water  Dick. 
Little   Maid   of*  Oxbow. 

'"May  Mannering'  is  the  nom  de  plume  of*n 
agreeable  writer  for  the  young  folks  who  possesses 
more  than  ordinary  ability,  and  has  a  thorough 
comprehension  of  the  way  to  Interest  children."  — 
Philadelphia  Item. 

"We  like  the  spirit  of  these  books  exceedingly, 
and  cordially  commend  it  to  the  notice  of  Sabbath 
School  Libraries."  —  Ladies'  Repository. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


"ITarteU  anto  attractioe." 

VACATION  STORY-BOOKS. 

Six  vols.     Illust.     Per  vol.,  80  cts. 

Worth  not  Wealth. 

Country  Life. 

The  Charm. 

Karl  Keigler. 

Walter  Seyton. 

Holidays  at  Chestnut  Hill. 

ROSY  DIAMOND  STORY-BOOKS. 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.     Per  vol.,  80  cts. 

The  Great  Rosy  Diamond. 
Daisy,  or  The  Fairy  Spectacles. 
Violet,  a  Fairy  Story. 
Minnie,  or  The  Little  Woman. 
The  Angel  Children. 
Little  Blossom's  Reward. 

These  are  delightful  works  for  children.  They 
are  all  very  popular,  and  have  had  a  wide  circula- 
tion. They  are  now  presented  in  a  new  dress. 
The  stories  are  all  amusing  and  instructive,  ex- 
hibiting human  nature  in  children,  and  teaching 

some  very  important  practical  lessons. 

Hf        LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


"  jjagctnattng  anU  Enstructtbe." 

THE  PROVERB  SERIES. 

By  Mrs.  M.  E.  Bradley  and  Miss 
Kate  J.  Neely. 

Six  vols.     Illust     Per  vol.,  $1. 

Birds  of  a  Feather. 

Fine  Feathers  do  Not  make  Fine 
Birds. 

Handsome  is  that  Handsome  does. 

A  Wrong   Confessed   is   half  Re- 
dressed. 

Actions  speak  louder  than  Words. 

One  Good  Turn  deserves  another. 

"  Each  volume  is  complete  in  itself,  and  illus- 
trates, with  a  story  of  most  fascinating  and  in- 
structive interest,  the  proverb  taken  for  its  title. 
These  are  just  the  kind  of  books  that  we  like  to 
see  in  a  family  or  Sunday-school  library.  They 
will  be  read  by  persons  of  all  ages  with  deep 
interest,  and  afford  instructive  and  entertaining 
conversation  with  the  children."— S.  $.  Journal. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Botton. 


